About this briefing

About this briefing

Medtech innovation briefings summarise the published evidence and information available for individual medical technologies. The briefings provide information to aid local decision‑making by clinicians, managers and procurement professionals.

Medtech innovation briefings aim to present information and critically review the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant evidence, but contain no recommendations and are not formal NICE guidance.

Development of this briefing

This briefing was developed for NICE by Newcastle and York External Assessment Centre. The interim process & methods integrated process statement sets out the process NICE uses to select topics, and how the briefings are developed, quality assured and approved for publication.

Project team

Newcastle and York External Assessment Centre

Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme, NICE

Peer reviewers and contributors

  • Roseanne Jones, Research Scientist, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Derek Bousfield, Senior Clinical Technologist, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Iain Willits, Medical Technologies Evaluator, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Helen Cole, Head of Service – Clinical Scientist, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Mick Arber, Information Specialist, York Health Economics Consortium

Specialist commentators

The following specialist commentators provided comments on a draft of this briefing:

  • Ms Coralie Rogers, Matron for Maternity Outpatients, Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust

  • Dr Rhona Hughes, Clinical Director for Obstetrics and Neonatology, NHS Lothian

  • Ms Julie Harland, Risk Management Midwife, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

  • Mr William O'Neill, Lead Biomedical Scientist Microbiology, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

  • Professor Peter Brocklehurst, Professor of Women's Health, University College London

Copyright

© National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2015. All rights reserved. NICE copyright material can be downloaded for private research and study, and may be reproduced for educational and not‑for‑profit purposes. No reproduction by or for commercial organisations, or for commercial purposes, is allowed without the written permission of NICE.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-1106-6