NICE process and methods

2 Identifying priorities for the health and care system

2 Identifying priorities for the health and care system

2.1 National policies inform the priorities for medicine topics. The 2019 Department of Health and Social Care voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access requires NICE to issue technology appraisal or highly specialised technologies guidance on all medicines that are new to the UK market or have a significant new therapeutic indication.

2.2 For other topics, NICE identifies the priorities of the health and care system and gathers information on potential topics by proactively engaging with national policy teams, clinical leaders, patient groups, system partners, national innovation competitions and commissioner groups.