Reducing differences in access to healthcare across Cheshire and Merseyside

In July 2022, the responsibility for commissioning healthcare treatments for the population of Cheshire and Merseyside moved from clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to the newly formed integrated care board, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside. 

Previously local areas made local decisions around their commissioning policies which has resulted in some differences across Cheshire and Merseyside. To address these differences, commissioning policies for a range of treatments are being reviewed to look at how they can be made the same for all places (Cheshire East, Cheshire West, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens, Warrington and Wirral).

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside is now responsible for reviewing clinical policies on a regular basis to ensure they are informed by the latest clinical research and national guidance. Reviewing clinical policies also includes consideration of any new legislation or legal decisions. All clinical policies have a review date, which is usually within two or three years of their adoption.

Clinical policy reviews are to ensure the quality and safety of patient care.

The Quality and Performance Committee of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside have reviewed national guidance to establish if existing CCG policies were already in place to cover all necessary interventions and treatments.

Where there was no current CCG policy for a treatment, the NHS England and Improvement policy has been adopted in full.

Where there was a current CCG policy for a treatment, it has been reviewed by the Quality and Performance Committee considering national guidance, policy rationale and evidence base.

The review of clinical policies is being carried out in stages. Some clinical policies were found to be the same across all the local areas of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, these are referred to as harmonised policies. More information about the harmonised policies is available below.

Some of the clinical polices vary from area to area. Harmonising these clinical policies will mean changes for some areas. Where this is the case, we will ensure patients, members of the public and stakeholders can contribute to the process as we work through the different stages. Information on how to get involved will be available on this website.

More information on our  programme to harmonise clinical policies

To view the harmonised policies select a category from the list below.

To view the treatment policies that have not yet been harmonised, click on an area of the map below to see the full details.