Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to item 9 of NICE’s public board meeting agenda, 17 July 2019, how will membership of the (a) task and finish groups and (b) patient working group be decided; and what opportunities will exist for patient groups not invited to participate with the patient working group.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that membership of the task and finish groups will be decided by the working group. There are three patient/lay representatives on the methods working group with a wide range of experience, covering a range of topic areas, reflecting the programmes under review. Two of the patient/lay representatives also belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition.

NICE has established a dedicated patient working group. There are six patient organisation representatives on the group, including those who belong to the Patients Involved in NICE coalition. The group will work directly with patient/carer groups to coordinate the patient perspective on both methods and process.

A stakeholder workshop with patient groups was held in January 2019 that included representatives from 22 patient organisations.

Patient groups will be involved in the review of each of the specific methodological areas as detailed in the paper presented to the NICE board on 17 July 2019. Experts in the area will be invited to participate in topic specific methods task and finish groups.

Patient organisations will have the opportunity to comment directly on proposals during the public consultation in summer 2020.