NICE consults on changes to its HealthTech programme

More innovative healthcare technologies could be adopted by the NHS under reforms proposed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The proposals, which are out for consultation, aim to transform how medical devices, diagnostics and digital and AI health technologies are evaluated by removing the requirement for medical devices to be cost saving for them to be recommended for use in the NHS.

Instead, independent committees would assess all technologies based on cost-effectiveness to balance the cost of the technology with the benefits it brings to patients and the service, which may include savings or efficiencies.

Mark Chapman, director of HealthTech at NICE, said: “We’re transforming our HealthTech programme to ensure it meets the needs of the NHS both now and in the future.

“Our transformation aims to deliver clearer, quicker and more targeted guidance that fits NHS priorities.

“We want to identify and accelerate the adoption of the most effective devices, interventions, digital solutions and diagnostic tools into the NHS, where they can transform patient care and outcomes.

“We’ve already cut guidance development time without compromising quality. This is the next step.

“Our proposed new approach, including a multi-tech cost-effectiveness approach and revised assessment methods, will create opportunities for innovative solutions that previously might not have reached our independent committees for consideration because they weren’t cost saving.

“We’re committed to ensuring NICE’s world leading position in making the very best clinically and cost-effective HealthTech available to our NHS.”

The move is part of a series of proposals, which include merging the interventional procedures, medical technologies evaluation and diagnostics assessment programmes to become one HealthTech programme.

The proposals are set to formalise the way NICE will evaluate technologies for early NHS use, previously described as early value assessments.

Evaluation methods will flex to reflect what stage a technology or procedure is at in the lifecycle.

It is expected that multi-tech assessments of products will become the norm, helping the NHS make informed purchasing decisions when multiple products with the same purpose are available.

When only one technology is available in the market though, a single technology assessment will be carried out.

The proposed changes are aimed at improving the productivity of the NHS with the roll out of new technologies and digital approaches to help more people receive the care they need in the community.

Since launching its HealthTech programme, NICE has recommended innovative technologies such as hybrid closed loop systems for managing blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes, digitally enabled therapies for adults with depression, and a technology which looks for a genetic variant in babies to guide antibiotic use and prevent hearing loss.

This is the first update to create a HealthTech manual with further changes planned to ensure NICE guidance meets the needs of patients and the NHS.

A consultation opened on 7 February 2025 and comments can be submitted via nice.org.uk until 6 March 2025.

Meanwhile, in February 2025 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency launched new guidance on the regulation of digital mental health technologies.