From 1 April 2026 two new organisations are now responsible for planning and overseeing NHS services for local people. The last day of operation for Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB was 31 March 2026. Find out more

Treatment for specialised services

Most NHS healthcare is planned and arranged locally. However, if you have a rare or complex condition such as a rare cancer, genetic disorders or complex medical, surgical, or mental health condition this will be arranged as a specialised service.

Access to specialist treatments on the NHS

Specialised services support people with a range of rare and complex conditions. They often involve treatments provided to patients with rare cancers, genetic disorders or complex medical or surgical conditions. 

These services are not available in every local hospital because they need to be delivered by specialist teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals who have the necessary skills and experience. 

NHS England, oversees provision of specialised services and they decide which specialist treatments to provide on the NHS. If you need a specialist treatment that NHS England doesn’t routinely provide, the doctor or  clinician overseeing your care can make an Individual Funding Request to the NHS England Commissioning Board on your behalf. Again, they would need to show that there are exceptional clinical reasons why you should have NHS treatment.

You can find more information on the NHS England Commissioning of specialist services website The NHS England guide for patients about Individual funding requests for specialised services is also available
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