Zarafshaan Hussain
Cedar Court
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Guildford Road
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 9AE
Tel: 01372 201500
www.surreydownsccg.nhs.uk
31 May 2018
Dear Zarafshaan Hussain
Re: FOID368, received 1 May 2018
Further to our email of 2 May 2018, we are now responding to your request for information,
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Your request is highlighted below, with the corresponding answer(s).
I would like to request the information about the following points around the CCG's
decisions with patient care and its structure.
• What criteria does the CCG use to select which inhalers should be prescribed for
Asthma and COPD?
Please see Attachment 1 – Prescribing Clinical Network Preferred Choices of Inhalers for
Treatment of COPD and Asthma paper. This paper was submitted to the Prescribing Clinical
Network (PCN) and provides information on the criteria used and the process that was
followed.
• How does the CCG compare the cost-effectiveness, efficacy, safety and patient
usability of different inhalers when selecting which COPD and Asthma inhalers should
be included on its local guidance?
As above, please see Attachment 1 which provides this information.
• Over the past three years, has the CCG introduced a planned programme of care
which resulted in the medicines optimisation team, contractors or GP practices
proactively reviewing patients and aligning their COPD and/or Asthma inhalers to
alternative options?
Please see Attachment 2 – Level 1 Prescribing Scheme 2015/16, Attachment 3 – Level 1
Prescribing Scheme 2016/17 and Attachment 4 – Level 1 Prescribing Scheme 2017/18.
• Please list the alternative asthma and COPD inhalers that were introduced by the
CCGs medicines optimisation team, contractors or GP practices during any planned
programme of care that proactively reviewed the use of asthma and/or COPD inhalers
over the past 3 years.
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, this information is available to you via other
means. During the review the following COPD guidance has been used, since June 2016:
http://pad.res360.net/Content/Documents/COPD_Guidelines%20Final%20June%2016%20(am
ended).pdf Please see Attachment 5 – Primary Care Medicines Management of Stable COPD for the
COPD guidance that was in place prior to June 2016.
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, this information is available to you via other
means. Please find here a list of preferred COPD inhalers, since February 2017:
http://pad.res360.net/Content/Documents/COPD%20Preferred%20Choices%20%20-
%20PCN%20Feb%2017.pdf
Please see Attachment 6 – Primary Care Medicines Management of Asthma in Adults and
Adolescents over 12 years for the asthma guidance that was in place during the review.
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, this information is available to you via other
means. Please find here a list of preferred asthma inhalers, since February 2017:
http://pad.res360.net/Content/Documents/Asthma%20Preferred%20%20Choices%20-
%20PCN%20Feb%2017.pdf
• Over the past three years, has the CCG used a QIPP scheme to introduce a planned
programme of care which resulted in the medicines optimisation team, contractors or
GP practices proactively reviewing patients and aligning their COPD and/or Asthma
inhalers to alternative options?
Please see Attachments 2, 3 and 4.
• Please list the alternative asthma and COPD inhalers that were introduced by the
CCGs medicines optimisation team, contractors or GP practices when using a QIPP
scheme to introduce a planned programme of care that proactively reviewed the use of
asthma and/ or COPD inhalers over the past 3 years?
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, this information is available to you via other
means. During the review the following COPD guidance has been used, since June 2016:
http://pad.res360.net/Content/Documents/COPD_Guidelines%20Final%20June%2016%20(am
ended).pdf Please see Attachment 5 – Primary Care Medicines Management of Stable COPD for the
COPD guidance that was in place prior to June 2016.
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, this information is available to you via other
means. Please find here a list of preferred COPD inhalers, since February 2017:
http://pad.res360.net/Content/Documents/COPD%20Preferred%20Choices%20%20-
%20PCN%20Feb%2017.pdf
Please see Attachment 6 – Primary Care Medicines Management of Asthma in Adults and
Adolescents over 12 years for the asthma guidance that was in place during the review.
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, this information is available to you via other
means. Please find here a list of preferred asthma inhalers, since February 2017:
http://pad.res360.net/Content/Documents/Asthma%20Preferred%20%20Choices%20-
%20PCN%20Feb%2017.pdf
I would also like to make a request for the full name, contact number and contact email
for the following roles listed below within your CCG;
Roles:
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Tait is Joint Accountable Officer for Surrey Downs CCG, Guildford and Waverley
CCG and North West Surrey CCG. Matthew can be reached by telephone via 01372 201 500
or email via
xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx
Chief Financial Officer
Karen McDowell is Chief Finance Officer for Surrey Downs CCG, Guildford and Waverley
CCG and North West Surrey CCG. Karen can be reached by telephone via 01372 201 500 or
email via
xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx Medicines Management Lead
Kevin Solomons is Head of Medicines Management. Kevin can be reached by telephone via
01372 201 500 or email via
xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx
Re-use of information
Surrey Downs CCG allows all information held on our website and supplied under the FoI Act
to be re-used, free of charge. However, please note that information supplied should not be re-
used for commercial profit or gain and should be re-used in the context to which it was
originally supplied.
We hope you are happy with the way in which your request has been managed. However, if
you are not satisfied with this response, you can write to us requesting an internal review. Our
address is provided at the top of this letter, or you can email us at
xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx. Further information about our review process can be
found in our Freedom of Information policy, which is available on our website at
www.surreydownsccg.nhs.uk/contact-us/freedom-of-information. If, after getting in touch, you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you have the right to
contact the Information Commissioner. You can write to:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
For more information about the role of the Information Commissioner’s Office see
www.ico.org.uk. Yours sincerely,
Louise Slaughter
Freedom of Information Coordinator