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The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today opens its consultation on the proposed process and methods guides for its Evaluation Pathway Programme for Medical Technologies. This new area of work was established by NICE in 2009, to focus specifically on the evaluation of innovative medical technologies, including devices and diagnostics.

The process and methods guides will inform the Medical Technologies Advisory Committee (MTAC), which identifies and selects innovative medical technologies and routes them through the appropriate NICE guidance programme. MTAC will also develop its own medical technologies guidance, which is a new form of NICE guidance. The guides will also be helpful in explaining how evaluations will work, and will be of interest to manufacturers, health professionals and organisations representing patient groups who are involved in the guidance process. Many of these groups have made valuable contributions to the development of the draft guides.

The Evaluation Pathway Programme for Medical Technologieswill help enable new medical technologies, or important modifications to existing ones, to be used more quickly and consistently in the NHS. The types of products which might be included are medical devices that deliver treatment such as those implanted during surgical procedures, technologies that give greater independence to patients, and diagnostic devices or tests used to detect or monitor medical conditions.

Dr Carole Longson, Director of the NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre, said: “We warmly welcomecomments on the process and methods guides as part of this consultation from anyone who has an interest in the evaluation of medical technologies. The independent Medical Technology Advisory Committee has two core remits: selecting medical technologies for evaluation by NICE guidance programmes and also developing medical technologies guidance itself. We’re keen to receive comments or suggestions from industry, health professionals and patient groups to ensure that our process is clear and robust, and ultimately benefits the NHS.”

The consultation will run for 12 weeks, ending at 5pm on 10 September 2010. Subject to approval by the NICE Board, the final process and methods guides will be published in 2011. More information on the consultation is available at http://www.nice.org.uk/medtechconsultation .

Notes to Editors

About NICE

• The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health.
• NICE produces guidance in three areas of health:
  • public health - guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention of ill health for those working in the NHS, local authorities and the wider public and voluntary sector
  • health technologies - guidance on the use of new and existing medicines, treatments and procedures within the NHS
  • clinical practice - guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS.

Related links

• Evaluation Pathway Programme for Medical Technologies