For NHS decision makers
Evidence-based guidance to make confident commissioning and procurement decisions.
About HealthTech guidance
This guidance evaluates digital technologies, diagnostics and medical devices (including artificial intelligence).
It considers healthtech products that are in early development but may offer potential value to the NHS, be suitable for routine widespread use, or are already in existing use in the NHS. It includes guidance on the effectiveness and safety of interventional procedures.
Backing the healthtech that changes lives
NICE HealthTech guidance evaluates diagnostics, medical technologies and interventional procedures. It helps the NHS invest in impactful healthtech – and backs the developers behind them. Find out how we can help you.
For healthtech developers
We help you build the evidence, navigate the system and get your technology to NHS patients.
How we develop HealthTech guidance
Find out how we evaluate healthtech and develop our guidance.
Real patients, real lives
When the right technology reaches the right patient, lives change.
These are the voices of people whose lives have been transformed by NICE-recommended HealthTech.
A new route to national NHS access
Under the government's 10 Year Health Plan, we've developed the National HealthTech Access Programme in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Office for Life Sciences. Through this programme, we'll evaluate a small number of high-impact healthtech. If recommended for NHS use, these technologies will receive national NHS funding, similar to medicines.
Our initial focus includes 2 technologies that could transform early diagnosis of oesophageal, prostate and breast cancer.
When baby Rufus needed antibiotics in the intensive care unit, a quick genetic test revealed he was at risk of hearing loss. Nurses immediately gave him a safer alternative. He passed his recent hearing test with flying colours and we could not be more grateful.
Amelia and Peter, parents to baby RufusNICE backed this test for early NHS use. It is being piloted at 14 neonatal units across the UK and we are now evaluating it for routine use across the NHS.
Interventional procedures guidance
Interventional procedures involve making an incision, a puncture or entry into a body cavity, or using ionising, electromagnetic or acoustic energy.
We assess the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures used for treatment or diagnosis to determine whether they work well enough and are safe enough for use in the NHS.
Tell us about an interventional procedure you think should be assessed by NICE.
We work with the clinical classifications service of NHS England to provide relevant clinical coding information for interventional procedures guidance.
The impact of our HealthTech guidance
Genetic test identifies newborns at risk of hearing loss
NICE backed this test for early NHS pilots. It has saved the hearing of 24 babies so far and could save the NHS up to £7 million every year.
NICE recommendation could free up thousands of NHS therapist hours
As demand for mental health support soars, NICE-recommended digital therapies could free up to 6,800 NHS therapist hours per 1,000 people.
‘Artificial pancreas’ transforms thousands of lives
NICE technology appraisal guidance on hybrid closed loop technology for type 1 diabetes increased uptake for children and young people from 36% to 73%.
