Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capacity of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to achieve its core purpose of improving health and wellbeing by putting science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision making.
The Department holds regular accountability meetings with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to review performance against its priorities and objectives, including consideration of any capacity issues. No current capacity issues have been identified. NICE will focus on key priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, providing recommendations where its guidance will have the greatest impact. NICE has recently completed a review of the methods and processes for evaluating clinically and cost-effective health technologies to ensure rapid access for patients, the National Health Service and the life sciences industry. This review will enable NICE to be faster, flexible, more responsive and transparent in supporting the health and care system and the life sciences industry and allow new and emerging health technologies to be available patients as soon as possible.