NHS patients in England are set to benefit from faster access to ‘the most innovative and cutting-edge’ medical technologies under new plans.
Proposals set out in a joint NHS England and NICE consultation outline a new route for medtech developers to access NHS funding to ‘fast-track’ clinically and cost-effective products for use by the healthcare system. The two organisations say the plans will ensure that ‘the growing number of game-changing products’ recommended by NICE can be introduced to the NHS, large-scale, to improve patient outcomes.
The proposals have been developed by NHS England and NICE with input from the Department of Health and Social Care and other partners, including the Office for Life Science (OLS) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Along with improving patient outcomes, they will, it is claimed, provide greater certainty for medtech innovators and suppliers – with a commitment to automatic funding to support routine commissioning for those technologies that meet a required criteria.
Feedback is being sought from patients, clinicians, academics, and industry, and can be submitted via the consultation webpage. The 12-week consultation closes at midnight on 15 August.
Dr Vin Diwakar, Interim Medical director for Transformation at NHS England, said: “Medical technology plays a vital role in the nation’s health, and these proposals outline how we can fully maximise its use for the benefits of patients. We are eager to hear from patients, industry, clinicians, and the public, to help us develop and shape the medtech pathway to ensure it can provide the greatest clinical and cost-effective benefit, so please come forward with your views.”
Mark Chapman, director of the Health Technologies Programme at NICE (pictured), said: “The speed of change, and the sheer number of new products being brought to market within the medtech world, have determined the need for a clear pathway to ensure that the most promising new and or transformative technologies recommended by NICE can be adopted at scale by the NHS within a timely manner. As a trusted organisation that has built an international reputation for developing evidence-based recommendations over the last 25 years, we believe that when a product is backed by positive NICE guidance, it shows the rest of the world the value and benefits it can bring healthcare users.
“This new pathway aims to ensure that patients in every area of the country can benefit from the best products, devices, digital technologies, or a diagnostic innovation. It will bring clarity to medtech developers, giving them a clear route to accessing NHS funding, in the same way that the pharmaceutical industry currently benefits from.”
