WIREDGOV

The new approach puts health technologies on equal footing with medicines, ensuring innovations like wearable diabetes monitors and AI diagnostics reach patients faster and more consistently across the NHS.

NICE will apply the same rigorous standards to evaluate medical devices, diagnostics and digital tools that currently assess new medicines.

The expanded programme addresses longstanding inequalities in technology adoption across different NHS regions. Technologies meeting NICE's standards will receive strong recommendations for NHS-wide implementation, supported by clear guidance on value and effectiveness.

The initiative forms part of the government's broader Life Sciences Sector Plan, positioning the NHS as a major customer for one of Britain's fastest-growing industries. It supports the NHS 10 Year Health Plan's vision for using innovation to drive healthcare reform and delivers the expansion of NICE’s technology appraisal process to cover devices, diagnostics and digital products.

Health technologies are reshaping healthcare, opening up new ways to care for patients, diagnose conditions earlier, and help people stay healthier for longer. These changes mean that more devices, diagnostics and digital tools will be used to address pressing issues across the NHS, such as long waiting lists.

Dr Sarah Byron, deputy director for HealthTech at NICE

NICE is currently consulting on updated evaluation methods through October 2025, working with industry and healthcare partners to refine the assessment framework. The programme will initially focus on high-impact technologies before expanding coverage in subsequent years.

This systematic change builds on NICE's founding mission to end postcode lottery access to treatments, extending that principle to the rapidly evolving healthtech sector including AI and digital health.

The methods and process manual consultation is open until 22 October.