Excess Treatment Costs

When research studies are testing new or different treatments, they may generate Excess Treatment Costs. This refers to the difference in price between a treatment currently offered to patients and the new or different treatment being tested via the research. If the cost of the new treatment is higher than the cost of the old, the difference is the Excess Treatment Cost.

Occasionally the new or experimental treatment is cheaper than normal treatment. In this case there is a saving in terms of treatment costs.

The definitions of the various costs associated with research are outlined in the Department of Health and Social Care AcoRD guidelines.

Applying for Excess Treatment Costs

The National Institute of Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) and its local networks manage the Excess Treatment Cost budget on behalf of ICBs. This took effect on 1 October 2018.

All new funding applications to the CRN are required to complete a Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool (SoECAT) which is validated by the CRN AcoRD specialists. A schedule of events is required as part of Health Research Authority (HRA) approval to outline study activities and the associated attribution under AcoRD principles.

The single point of access for processing the Excess Treatment Cost requests is via the NIHR Study Support Service mailbox.

Research team support

We can provide support to calculate Excess Treatment Costs for your study and where relevant obtain support from a commissioner who holds the budget.

We recommend you identify every relevant commissioner from whom an Excess Treatment Cost budget will be required for the study. If you require Public Health investment, please ensure you contact them as early as possible. Commissioners are unable to budget for ‘unknown’ research projects, and can struggle to meet their Excess Treatment Cost requests and other commitments.

Key points of the new process for Excess Treatment Costs

• costing is completed using a standard costing methodology (the Schedule of Events Cost Attribution Tool).
• high cost Excess Treatment Costs will be assessed by a panel at project funding stage.
• the Clinical Research Network will transfer your costing and recruitment information into the Central Portfolio Management System (CPMS). This will calculate Excess Treatment Costs for provider organisations and will be paid when the minimum threshold is reached.

Contact us

If you are a researcher in need of support around Excess Treatment Costs please get in touch. Our Research Team is happy to help.

Tel: 0117 900 2268
Email: bnssg.research@nhs.net