NICE process and methods

12 Engagement and support

12 Engagement and support

12.1 Opportunities before and during topic selection

12.1.1 NICE will routinely identify and contact relevant individuals and organisations at planned points in the topic selection process. This usually occurs at topic identification stage, topic briefing development, scoping and after topic selection oversight panel meetings.

12.1.2 There are also opportunities for companies and other interested individuals to talk to NICE (and other organisations when relevant) and seek support.

12.1.3 Information gathered during engagement and support may be shared (following the principles and requirements of data protection legislation outlined in NICE health technology evaluations: the manual) across the NICE teams on a need-to-know basis to support and enhance topic selection decision making. Information sharing is limited to:

  • technology name

  • indication

  • regulatory information

  • engagement information:

    • date of engagement

    • type of engagement or service used

    • information about the technology or its regulatory information, or both.

12.2 Tell NICE about a topic

12.2.1 Information about topics can be provided directly to:

12.2.2 NICE's Office for Market Access can help inform market access strategies for all types of technology. They can provide help to understand the healthcare landscape, identify the most appropriate route to NHS access, and explore the value of the technology with system stakeholders.

12.2.3 NICE's scientific advice services can help companies develop evidence that demonstrates the clinical and cost effectiveness of all types of technology. They provide feedback on evidence generation plans, and help companies understand health technology assessment and the perspective of decision makers. They also provide a comprehensive peer review service for economic models that helps companies optimise the model's structure, computation, coding, usability and transparency.

12.2.4 For medicines that have been selected for NICE guidance, the NICE commercial and managed access teams can arrange discussions between NICE, NHS England and Improvement, and companies. This supports timely discussions to address issues of value, affordability and transactability, as appropriate, to give patients the fastest possible access to clinically and cost-effective treatments. Companies can email NICE's Commercial Liaison Team (which includes NICE's Patient Access Schemes Liaison Unit) at CLPT@nice.org.uk. The Commercial Liaison Team will then arrange discussions with the Managed Access Team at NICE or the NHS England and Improvement Commercial Medicines Directorate, or both, as necessary.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-4422-4