What is an Individual Patient Funding Request (IPFR)?

In some circumstances a doctor can apply to the NHS to fund a treatment for you, which is not normally provided by a health board.

They must be able to show that it will provide a clinical benefit.

They will discuss this with you before making an application on your behalf.

When can an IPFR be made?

• Your doctor believes that your clinical circumstances are clearly different to other patients with the same condition.
• There is a clinical reason why your condition would respond differently to other patients, which means you would gain more clinical benefit from that treatment.

The IPFR can be submitted to the health board or the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC). Requests may also be made for licensed medicines that are not recommended after a health technology assessment (HTA).

Go to the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee website to find out more about specialised services.

Submit an IPFR

An application can only be made by an NHS doctor.

Our preferred method of funding request submissions is by IPFR Electronic Submission.

Go to the All-Wales IPFR Database to submit a funding request. Applications must be made by clinicians.

For doctors: Please note you will need to be connected via an NHS portal and you will need to register for access.

Please be aware that the IPFR Policy does not cover healthcare travel costs.

Travel costs

Information on patient eligibility for healthcare travel costs to receive NHS treatment under the care of a consultant, can be found on the Welsh Government website.

Go to the Get Help With NHS Travel Costs page on the Welsh Government website to find out if you are entitled to help with NHS travel costs.

How will the decision be made?

The IPFR will be considered by an independent panel made up of doctors, nurses, public health experts, pharmacists and lay members. Your personal details will be kept confidential.

Panel members have the skills and knowledge to consider the information provided by your clinician and must make sure decisions made are fair, consistent and equitable and in line with the principles of the IPFR policy.

When considering applications the panel will only consider the clinical evidence provided. They will not consider any non-clinical circumstances. For example, factors such as your ability to work or study, care for dependents, or meet financial commitments can’t be considered as part of the IPFR process.

When the panel has made a decision on your application a letter will be sent to the clinician to let them know the outcome of the funding request.

You will receive a letter informing you that a decision has been made. However, you will not be informed of the decision as following feedback from patients and clinicians it was felt that these matters are best discussed directly between patients and their clinicians.

Your clinician will contact you to discuss the decision and the next steps in your care.

What happens if the panel decline the request?

If your application is unsuccessful, your clinician will discuss with you the reasons for the decision and what other treatment options may be available to you.

If you and your clinician think that that the IPFR process hasn’t been followed correctly, your clinician can request a review of the process followed on your behalf.

Your clinician will need to complete a request for a review form, outlining the grounds for requesting the review in line with the IPFR policy. This must be done within 25 working days of the date of the decision letter.

If a request for a review is received, a review panel will look at the case. The review panel cannot change the outcome of the decision, but if they don’t think that the panel followed the process correctly, they can ask the IPFR panel to review your application again.

The review panel will not consider any new information. If new information becomes the case it will be reviewed by the IPFR panel.

Complaints

If you remain unhappy after your review decision, you have the right to refer the matter to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. 

Go to the website for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for information on making a complaint if you are unhappy with the decision.

More information

Go to this page to read the full IPFR policy.

Go to this page for help with filling in the IPFR form.

Go to this page for the IPFR application form. Please note, this can only be completed and submitted by a doctor. You can also use the IPFR Database to submit a request. 

Go to this page on the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre website for further information on the IPFR process.