Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, what steps they will take to develop a definition of innovation which differentiates transformative technologies, together with the consultative process that will achieve this.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has embedded relevant considerations for innovative technologies throughout its health technology evaluations. NICE has not defined innovation in its updated methods and processes manual for health technology assessments. However, NICE will work with other partners from the Accelerated Access Collaborative to develop a definition of ‘disruptive technologies’. NICE keeps its methods and processes under review and will consult with stakeholders on any proposed changes.