Your local NHS organisation (known as an Integrated Care Board in England, a Health Board in Scotland and Wales, and a Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland) is responsible for planning and funding health services in your area. They make decisions about which treatments, services, and products are available. If you’ve been told a product is not available and you are unsure why, you can email your local health board or trust to ask for more information.
Find your local health board or trust and their contact details here:
Tips for writing to your local health board or trust:
- Clearly explain your condition and which product you’ve been denied
- State who made the decision (e.g. GP, nurse, clinic)
- Ask how they made the assessment that the product in question should not be funded
- Request a response in writing from the health board or trust
- Note the dates and times when emails/letters were sent and keep proof of sending
- Give a clear timeframe for response - 28 working days is a reasonable wait