Programme budget categories (PBC)

Access to PBC for:

registered users is through ePACT2
public users is through Catalyst

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has set up a national programme budget project to develop a primary source of information.

This can be used by all bodies, to give a better understanding of NHS expenditure.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s website has more detailed information.

The national programme budget project aims to map some £50bn of NHS expenditure into, currently, 23 programmes of care. Examples of these include:

infectious diseases
cancer
blood disorders
mental health problems
coronary heart disease
problems of the skin
falls and problems due to trauma and injuries

Data Services provides information about all English commissioner and provider prescribing expenditure, broken down amongst the 23 categories.

Report notes

There are 3 types of report available to view, which are:

national
integrated care board (ICB)
commissioner or provider

The data provided is for prescriptions issued by prescribers in England only which have been dispensed in the community.

Hospitals’ prescriptions, including those dispensed in the community, private prescriptions and dental prescribing, are excluded from the data.

Sub Integrated Care Board Locations (SICBL) level data is shown against the prescriber’s SICBL.

Some medical products can be used in more than one treatment area. In these situations, prescribing is apportioned across the relevant categories.

Items show the number of times a product appears on a prescription form.

From April 2024, Actual Cost is based on the Net Ingredient Cost of the item(s) supplied, less the appropriate discount rate of the prescribed product plus Payment for Consumables, Out of Pocket Expenses and Payment for Containers.

Prior to April 2024 Actual Cost - was the basic price of the drug less the National Average Discount Percentage (NADP) plus 'payment for consumables' (previously known 'container allowance'), 'Out of Pocket Expenses' and 'payment for containers'.

The calculation for the discount amount is the basic price multiplied by the NADP. Actual Cost only relates to England.

Some products are specifically excluded from the blood disorder category.

Programme budget categories (PBC)

Report notes

ePACT2 resources

ePACT2 links

Help us improve our website