National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

(asked on 4th June 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he plans to enable the involvement of patient groups in the methods and processes review of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.


Answered by
Seema Kennedy Portrait
Seema Kennedy
This question was answered on 12th June 2019

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for the methods and processes used in the development of its technology appraisal and highly specialised technology recommendations. NICE has now initiated the review of its technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies methods in line with the commitment made in the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access.

The Voluntary Scheme states that industry and other relevant stakeholders will be active participants in the review, including inputting on scope, participating in working discussions, and providing views on recommendations. NICE’s updated methods guide will be subject to a public consultation.

NICE has established a working group consisting of members from NICE, NHS England, the Department, patient organisations and the life sciences industry. The working group reports to a steering group, chaired by NICE and with members from NHS England, the Department, and an independent academic methodologist. The steering group will present its recommendations to NICE’s senior management team, which in turn will report to the NICE Board.

NICE is in the process of scoping of the review of the methods for technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies evaluations, with input from the working group and steering group. The scope of the review - a list of the aspects of NICE’s current methods that will be considered in the review - will be presented to the NICE Board in July. Additional detail and more information will be made available on the NICE website in due course. NICE anticipate being in a position to confirm the revised methods guide by the end of 2020, following public consultation.

Reticulating Splines