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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has welcomed the announcement of a review to consider patient access to new medicines and other technologies. The Innovative Medicines and MedTech Review will consider how to speed up patient access to cost-effective and innovative medicines, devices and diagnositcs.

In September, NICE called a wider review of the innovation, evaluation and adoption of new treatments (including those for cancers) involving patients, people working in or with the NHS, the life sciences industries and health researchers. 

Sir Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of NICE, said:

“The UK is a world leader in science, engineering and medical research. NICE is the international gold standard in evaluating new technologies, and the NHS delivers the finest care to the people who use it. It has the infrastructure and expertise to turn the promise of scientific progress into benefits for patients.

“We’re delighted to see the government is ambitious about accelerating the development and adoption of new medicines and other health technologies within the NHS. The escalating pace of change in medical science offers enormous potential benefits for patients and the economy. This review provides the opportunity to think carefully about how together we can work through the NHS to deliver the greatest benefit. 

“In September, NICE called for all the different organisations and businesses involved in health research and delivery to discuss how together we can support the discovery, development, evaluation and adoption of new treatments. The result could give a fair return to those investing in new technologies and bring enormous benefits to patients.”

In September, NICE proposed:

• an office for innovation inside NICE to provide companies with a 'flight path' through the stages of the development, evaluation and adoption of their products into the NHS.
• agreement between NICE, NHS England and the Department of Health, on the NHS's willingness to pay for new treatments, which would take account of any special cases, such as ultra-orphan conditions and cancer.
• more productive sharing of risk between companies and the NHS. The aim would be to progressively reflect the value of new treatments as our knowledge of what they can offer to patients increases (NHS England’s “commissioning through evaluation” process could be used to for this).

About NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for driving improvement and excellence in the health and social care system. We develop guidance, standards and information on high-quality health and social care. We also advise on ways to promote healthy living and prevent ill health.

Our aim is to help practitioners deliver the best possible care and give people the most effective treatments, which are based on the most up-to-date evidence and provide value for money, in order to reduce inequalities and variation.

Our products and resources are produced for the NHS, local authorities, care providers, charities, and anyone who has a responsibility for commissioning or providing healthcare, public health or social care services.

To find out more about what we do, visit our website:www.nice.org.uk and follow us on Twitter: @NICEComms.

Contact: John Davidson 0300 323 0142 pressoffice@nice.org.uk