Primary care trusts (PCTs) must determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations. Each PCT must establish a professional executive committee to exercise particular functions, including to provide advice and assistance to medical practitioners. PCTs are also able to appoint other committees of the trust, but there is no requirement for a special exception committee or other committee to approve national health service treatments.
The Department does not collect data on how many primary care trusts have such committees and has issued no national guidance on their operation.