Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of COVID-19 on the work programme of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in particular (1) the development and publication of technology appraisal guidance, and (2) the review of its methods and processes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has adapted its priorities to support the National Health Service, local authorities and the wider health and social care sector to tackle COVID-19.

NICE’s immediate priorities include frontline staff being released from committee meetings and panels to minimise the disruption to critical care for those affected by COVID-19 and minimising the publication of outputs that might be a distraction during this critical time. NICE will only publish guidance, including technology appraisal guidance that is therapeutically critical or focused on COVID-19-related issues, and will continue with, but not publish other work, as staffing and other resources allow, including the review of its methods and processes. Information about the NICE methods review will be available shortly.

These priorities will be reviewed in six to eight weeks.