Alpha-1 Alliance’s application for highly specialised Alpha-1 service endorsed by Clinical Reference Group
The Alpha-1 Alliance is delighted to announce that the Clinical Reference Group (CRG) for Specialised Respiratory Diseases has formally endorsed the Alpha-1 Alliance’s application for the establishment a highly specialised service for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency in England. The CRG for Specialised Respiratory Disease is a committee of senior respiratory clinicians, who advise NHS England on the commissioning of new specialised services. Receiving the CRG’s endorsement for our application is an important milestone in establishing the proposed specialised service. The Alliance’s application will now enter the next steps within NHS England’s formal commissioning review with strong support of the wider clinical community.
Karen North, Trustee of the Alpha-1 UK Support Group and Executive Member of the Alpha-1 Alliance, commented: “Receiving the CRG’s endorsement means that the Alliance’s application has now crossed the first big hurdle on the path to a national specialised service for Alpha-1.We will continue to engage with NHS England officials in the coming months to support the review of our application by the different commissioning committees.”
The Alpha-1 Alliance is currently in the process of establishing a permanent Clinical Advisory Committee of senior expert clinicians with specific expertise in Alpha-1 to advise the Alliance throughout the further development of the specifications of the proposed Alpha-1 service and their implementation. The Committee will provide ongoing clinical advice to the Alliance’s Executive Members and support the Alliance’s formal engagement with NHS England’s commissioning process. The Committee will also ensure that the views of the wider Alpha-1 clinical community are comprehensively reflected within the Alliance’s campaign.
Source: Alpha-1 Alliance 17/07/2014