NICE to assess medical technologies

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has launched a programme aimed at evaluating new medical technologies.

The Evaluation Pathway Programme for Medical Technologies is expected to work alongside NICE’s existing technology-appraisal system, which will continue to evaluate new pharmaceutical and biotechnology products.

It is hoped the initiative will enable innovative medical technologies, such as implants and diagnostic devices, and enable modifications to existing ones so that they can be released more rapidly into the NHS.

Andrew Dillon, chief executive of NICE, said: ‘“High quality care for all” acknowledged the need to simplify the pathway by which medical technologies pass from development into wider use and develop ways to benchmark and monitor uptake.

‘This new programme takes forward that vision and we look forward to helping patients and the NHS to benefit more quickly and consistently from innovative medical technologies.’

The scheme will support the newly created Medical Technologies Advisory Committee that identifies medical technologies and routes them through the appropriate NICE guidance programme.