NICE 2001/004

Issued: 25 January 2002

Press release

Mr Paul Burstow MP today suggested that "The fact the Department of Health is rushing out an announcement on its plans for 'risk sharing' is a vote of no confidence in NICE".

Andrew Dillon Chief Executive of NICE said, "We are not aware that the Department of Health has issued details of any arrangement between itself and manufacturers.

"The fact is that the Institute's provisional determination, published in August 2001, suggested that the Department of Health and the National Assembly for Wales should consider with manufacturers how any or all of these drugs could be secured for patients in a cost effective manner".

"By Acting on our advice the Department of Health is clearly not undermining the Institute. Their actions are clearly supportive of the robust and transparent process the Institute follows in developing its guidance".

This week Lord Hunt, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, explained to the Lords that the Department of Health was engaged in its discussions with interested parties as a direct result of the Institute's provisional advice.

Ends

Notes for Editors

  1. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has today announced that the appeals against the Institute's Final Appraisal Determination on the use of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate for multiple sclerosis, heard on 26th November 2002, have not been upheld. The Appeal Panel's decision has been published today.
  2. The press release (2002 /003) regarding the appeal decision and the full text of the Appeal Panel's decision are published on the NICE website, as are the provisional appraisal determination and the final appraisal determination. http://www.nice.org.uk/cat.asp?c=19979 links to a page that holds all relevant details.
  3. In a debate in the House of Lords this week Lord Hunt of King's Heath (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health) responded to a question by Baroness Knight by saying: "About the discussion that the Department of Health has had, and is having, with manufacturers of the drug and other interested parties to see whether any of the four medicines can be secured for the NHS in a manner which could be considered cost-effective. That is not an attempt by the department to second-guess NICE or to interfere in the process. I refer to the view given by NICE in its provisional appraisal that those drugs did not represent a cost-effective use of NHS resources. At the same time, NICE recommended that discussions take place between the department and the manufacturers in order to secure supplies for the NHS on terms that could be regarded as cost-effective. That is why we are engaged in those discussions."