The WHSSC Blueteq High Cost Drugs (HCDs) System
Blueteq is a web-based software system used to manage, authorise and procure HCDs across a wide range of healthcare conditions. The system improves governance, provides faster medicines access for patients and ensures that medicines are prescribed in accordance with Health Technology Appraisal guidance issued by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
It ensures that all WHSSC commissioned treatments prescribed in line with AWMSG and NICE technology appraisal (TA) and highly specialised technology (HST) guidance including medicines commissioned directly by WHSSC are reimbursed.
Blueteq records data on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment histories, treatment response and safety in a standardised format. This information can be used to monitor and report on treatment efficacy and tolerability, facilitate service development and workforce planning.
Implementation
Blueteq was introduced across NHS Wales for WHSSC commissioned medicines in April 2021. The roll out for the remaining HCDs in secondary and primary care started in April 2023 and is led by All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) who supports AWMSG and its subgroups.
Cross Border
Close cooperation with both WHSSC and NHS England (NHSE) has enabled Blueteq to include sufficient functionality to ensure cross border treatments can be catered for seamlessly and attributed to the correct organisations.
Review, Continuation and Outcome Data
Where appropriate a review period can be included and stored for particular treatments and will then be calculated and recorded against each notification.
Documents
Approval of a HCD request is accomplished by the completion of a simple tick box ‘form’ which lists the eligibility criteria for that medicine.
The following spreadsheets shows the ‘live’ forms that are enabled on the Blueteq system and those still in development.
Prior approval
If a Blueteq is not yet available for a WHSSC commissioned HCD (e.g. still in development), please continue to use our Prior Approval process by accessing this form: prior approval form
Further information on this process can be accessed by contacting the WHSSC Patient Management Team at WHSSC.IPC@wales.nhs.uk
Contact information and Blueteq access
Further Information
Frequently Asked Questions: Blueteq High Cost Drugs System for NHS Wales
Our committees - All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (North Wales)
Further extending the use of Blueteq in secondary care (WHC/2022/032) | GOV.WALES