Nationally Funded Centres

Nationally Funded Centres (NFCs) are established to provide Australians with equitable access to certain high cost, low demand, new and emerging medical technologies.  NFCs are approved by the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) and funded by the jurisdictions.
At the June 1990 Australian Health Ministers Conference (AHMC), Ministers endorsed a national policy for public sector provision of high cost, highly specialised clinical practices and technologies (technology) with limited demand.  This is the Nationally Funded Centres Program.  The AHMAC oversees all aspects of the NFC Program and associated policy.

Objectives

The objectives of the NFC Program are to ensure that:

1. There is maximal access to certain high cost, low demand, new and emerging technologies regardless of geographical location, in the context of workforce and resource availability.
2. These technologies are provided efficiently and effectively.
3. Requirements for high quality and safe introduction and ongoing provision of these technologies have been defined and implemented.
4. Health and cost outcomes of these technologies are monitored and evaluated.

NFC eligibility

For a technology to be considered for provision in a NFC, it must be an established clinical practice requiring a national population base for efficient and effective service provision.  The scope of technology eligible for consideration as a NFC includes devices, prostheses, techniques, skills or expertise (or personnel with particular skills or expertise) and/or procedures, or combinations of these.

High cost, low demand pharmaceuticals are not eligible to be considered for a NFC Program unless they are a component of care in the provision of a particular practice or technology.  Service delivery of technologies approved as NFC Programs may occur in one or more sites and is restricted to these sites.

Provision of some technologies in NFCs will be long term.  With others, the duration will be shorter as the practice becomes diffused across the health system.  In some instances, approval to provide a technology in a NFC may be withdrawn due to evidence not available at the time of its approval.  Approved NFC Programs are funded from a pool with contributions from all States and Territories according to a weighted population-based formula based.

NFC Reference Group

The NFC Reference Group is responsible for:

1. Managing the NFC Program
2. Ensuring submissions for new NFCs are assessed (subsequent to approval by AHMAC) and that existing NFCs are reviewed regularly
3. Determining the annual budgets for NFCs. 

The NFC Reference Group includes representatives from the Australian Government and each jurisdiction.  

Victorian health services seeking consideration of NFC status

Detailed information, including templates for nominating a technology for a new NFC Program, is in the Nationally Funded Centre Guidance for Governance, Management, Funding, Establishment, Review, which can be downloaded from this webpage.

Victorian health services seeking to establish an NFC Program should consult with the department in the first instance.  Should a technology be deemed appropriate for consideration to establish a new NFC Program, the department will oversee the preparation of submission documents by the health service. 

The following templates, which are appended to the Nationally Funded Centre Guidance for Governance, Management, Funding, Establishment, Review, have been prepared for completion seeking to nominate a new NFC and submitted to the NFC Reference Group for consideration:

1. Nomination summary template for new Nationally Funded Centre
2. Summary template for the nomination of a site for a new Nationally Funded Centre
3. Comprehensive submission template for new Nationally Funded Centre

Applications from health services seeking to establish an NFC Program must have progressed through, and be endorsed by, the local health service New Technology Committee before being considered by the Victorian Policy Advisory Committee on Technology (VPACT).

Should VPACT support the establishment of an NFC Program, the completed Nomination, Summary and Comprehensive submission will be forwarded, via the NFC Reference Group, to AHMAC for its consideration.  Should AHMAC support a nomination, an independent expert will undertake a health technology assessment of the nominated technology.  This assessment will inform AHMAC consideration to approve the NFC Program.

Assessment of NFC Programs

Assessments of new applications for the NFC Program are undertaken by independent experts groups, such as MSAC.  These assessments review the nominated NFCs and evaluate the operation of existing NFCs, with a view to strengthening the role of evidence in health financing decisions in Australia. The independent experts groups also make recommendations to AHMAC regarding the future operation of established NFCs. 
Current NFC Programs

1. Paediatric Cardiac Transplantation Program, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
2. Paediatric Liver Transplantation Program, Austin Hospital, Melbourne
3. Paediatric Liver Transplantation Program, Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane
4. Paediatric Liver Transplantation Program, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
5. Pancreas Transplantation Program, Westmead Hospital, Sydney
6. Pancreas Transplantation Program, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne

Reviews of NFC Programs

Enquiries / Contact

Enquiries about Nationally Funded Centres should be directed to either Dr Paul Fennessy on phone 9096 2142 or email paul.fennessy@dhs.vic.gov.au or to Kylie Mayo on phone 9096 0792 or email kylie.mayo@dhs.vic.gov.au.