<P> In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) sets guidelines for medical practitioners as to how various conditions should be treated and whether or not a particular treatment should be funded . These guidelines are established by panels of medical experts who specialise in the area being reviewed . </P> <P> In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium advises NHS Boards there about all newly licensed medicines and formulations of existing medicines as well as the use of antimicrobiotics but does not assess vaccines, branded generics, non-prescription - only medicines (POMs), blood products and substitutes or diagnostic drugs . Some new drugs are available for prescription more quickly than in the rest of the United Kingdom . At times this has led to complaints . </P> <P> The National Audit Office reports annually on the summarised consolidated accounts of the NHS, and Audit Scotland performs the same function for NHS Scotland . </P> <P> Since January 2007, the NHS have been able to claim back the cost of treatment, and for ambulance services, for those who have been paid personal injury compensation . </P>

Government owned national health services such as found in the united kingdom and sweden