HTA work with NICE
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was established as a Special Health Authority in April 1999 to promote clinical excellence and the effective use of resources within the NHS. NICE is responsible, through technology appraisals, for providing national guidance on new and existing medicines and treatments within England and Wales.
The HTA programme’s support for NICE forms an important part of its work.
Technology Assessment Reports
These are commissioned by the HTA programme on behalf of NICE to inform its national clinical guidance to the NHS. They are produced by independent academic teams and form part of the scientific evidence base of the appraisal process by looking at the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the technology being assessed. The HTA programme commissions about 20 Technology Assessment Reports a year for NICE. These are also published in the HTA journal series, Health Technology Assessment.
View/download NICE's Guide to the Technology Appraisal Process (pdf, 134kb)
View a list of Technology Assessment Reports and the corresponding NICE Guidance (pdf, 140kb)
Single Technology Appraisal
In November 2005 NICE launched the Single Technology Appraisal process, which is designed to enable assessment of single drugs and devices close to when they are first licensed, allowing NICE’s existing system to be reserved for more complex issues.
The main source of evidence for a Single Technology Appraisal comes from an Evidence Submission by the manufacturer or sponsor of a technology. The HTA programme commissions an independent Evidence Review Group (ERG) to critically evaluate the Evidence Submission to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The ERG produces a report, normally within eight weeks, which informs the Single Technology Appraisal.
View/download NICE's Guide to the Single Technology Appraisal Process (pdf, 216kb)
View a list of all ERG reports already considered, or due to be considered in 2006/07
Academic teams
The HTA programme works with seven independent academic centres to produce Technology Assessment Reports and Evidence Review Group Reports for NICE. Based at universities around the UK, the seven groups are:
- Aberdeen HTA Group, University of Aberdeen
- West Midlands HTA Collaboration, University of Birmingham
- Peninsula Technology Assessment Group, University of Exeter
- Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group, University of Liverpool
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield
- Southampton HTA Centre, University of Southampton
- Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York
The HTA programme also works with these academic centres to produce research for other policy customers
For more details view our work with NICE information leaflet or contact the TAR programme manager, 023 8059 5652, email htatar@soton.ac.uk
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