IFR and Prior Approval Management Service

Our IFR management service is dedicated to providing the best care within NHS funds, especially when patients' needs cannot be met by standard healthcare packages.  We ensure that all NHS funding decisions are made in a robust, open, and transparent way to guarantee fair access to treatment.

Our resilient service includes effective end-to-end IFR case management equitable and transparent IFR processes, and resilience and experience.

Our dedicated clinicians, public health consultants, and clinical pharmacists provide expertise to support IFR decision-making throughout the Northwest

Our fair and effective IFR management service includes:

·       End-to-end IFR service from receipt to decision and notification

·       Case-reviews

·       Facilitating and coordination of IFR Panels

·       Comprehensive reporting information

·       Clinical triage of IFR applications

·       A holistic approach to case management

o   Secure case management technology

o   Data collection and presentation

o   Robust audit trails

o   Decision monitoring

o   Reporting

o   Stakeholder communication

Our IFR service includes several key components to ensure patients can access appropriate and equitable treatments not routinely offered by the NHS:

·       Clear Criteria for Requests: We have well-defined criteria for what constitutes an individual funding request. This typically involves clinical exceptionality, where a patient's circumstances are significantly different from others with the same condition.

·       Comprehensive Evaluation Process: Each request is thoroughly evaluated based on clinical evidence, cost-effectiveness, and potential benefit to the patient. This ensures that resources are used wisely and treatments are provided where they are most likely to be effective.

·       Transparent Decision-Making: Our processes are transparent, with clear communication to patients and clinicians about how decisions are made and the rationale behind them.

·       Support for Clinicians: Clinicians are supported in making requests, with access to guidance and resources to help them provide the necessary information and evidence.

·       Patient-Centred Approach: Our service prioritises the needs and circumstances of individual patients, ensuring that their unique situations are considered in the decision-making process.

·       Expert Support: Offers transparent decision-making supported by the right processes, administration, and clinical expertise for efficient use of NHS resources.

·       Specialist Management and Administration: Provides effective, transparent, and consistent IFR processes with extensive experience in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire, and South Cumbria.

·       Expertise in Decision-Making: Dedicated clinicians, public health consultants, and clinical pharmacists support IFR decision-making throughout the Northwest.

Our Prior Approval Scheme is one mechanism of audit that can be used alongside other approaches to support policy implementation and assure policy adherence, including ‘Socialising’ policies effectively during their launch.

Our Prior Approval service supports providers and commissioners to ensure clinical commissioning policy compliance and includes:

    • Online applications
    • Policy algorithm development
    • Instant decision-making
    • Comprehensive report information
    • Auditing and decision monitoring

For advice or to discuss how we can support your ICS please contact us.