A public consultation on updates to NICE’s health technology evaluations manual is now open.
Running for four weeks, the consultation will cover two overarching changes:
- Incorporating NICE’s proportionate approach to technology appraisals into the manual.
- Revised approach to updating technology appraisal recommendations for COVID-19 medicines.
The consultation marks the first update to the NICE health technology evaluations manual. Published in January 2022, the manual sets out the process for deciding how topics are identified, selected and routed for NICE guidance developed by the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation (CHTE).
This includes diagnostics, highly specialised technologies, interventional procedures, medical technologies and technology appraisal guidance.
Proportionate approach to technology appraisals
The first part of this consultation is on formally including a proportionate approach to technology appraisals.
In April 2023, and following a year of pilot activity, NICE launched interim methods and processes for its proportionate approach to technology appraisals.
Through this approach we can apply light-touch, faster evaluations to simpler, low-risk treatments. This allows us to produce rapid guidance for these topics and ensures we continue to have enough time for complex areas that need tailored support.
We developed this approach during 2022-23, leading to guidance being produced up to 20 weeks faster than our normal processes.
We have now incorporated details of this approach into the NICE health technology evaluations manual, and we are seeking comments on the relevant updated sections of the manual.
Changes to updating technology appraisal recommendations for COVID-19 medicines
The second part of this consultation is on a revised approach to updating technology appraisals for COVID-19 medicines.
Earlier this year, we consulted on an approach to monitoring and rapidly updating technology appraisal recommendations for COVID-19 medicines.
We received a large number of comments from stakeholders, many of which supported the broad principles. However, many also challenged the time the revised process allows for making submissions and engagement. In addition, since the consultation was initially launched, there have been changes to the frequency and reliability of the data that can feed into this approach.
Consequently, we’ve reconsidered our approach to surveillance and updates to reflect the changes in data availability, and to address the key concerns of stakeholders.
Our revised approach still represents a change from standard processes and aims to deliver guidance in approximately half the time of a normal review.
However, compared with the original proposals there is more time built in for stakeholders to make submissions and engage in the process.
Our ‘Updating technology appraisal recommendations for COVID-19 medicines: revised approach’ document provides NICE’s response to the key themes from consultation, an explanation of the changes in data availability and what we propose to do next. The full comments from the consultation are also provided as an appendix.
