Health minister visits HTA programme

News release from the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment

3 March 2006

The HTA programme has entertained a VIP visitor following the government announcement that the programme is to expand. Health Minister Jane Kennedy has visited the HTA programme at its base within the University of Southampton , following the news that the programme is to expand under new plans for a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR was announced by the Department of Health in January as a key part of its new strategy for health research and development.

The HTA programme is the largest and longest running of the Department of Health's national research programmes, managed by the National Coordinating Centre for HTA based within the University of Southampton 's School of Medicine . As part of the Wessex Institute for Health Research and Development, it works alongside organisations such as the Southampton HTA Centre (SHTAC), to produce research information about the costs, effectiveness and broader impact of health technologies for those who plan, provide or receive care in the NHS. As one part of the NIHR, the HTA programme will launch a major new work stream of pragmatic clinical trials, which deliver results that make a real practical difference to patients. The new programme will be launched in spring 2006.

Health Minister Jane Kennedy says: "The changes we are putting in place as part of our new health research strategy are essential in creating a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals, working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.

"Our new health strategy will give patients better access to ground-breaking new medicines and treatments by supporting researchers throughout England . The Government is committed to making the UK the best place in the world for health research and the new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme are both vital in achieving this."

"We were delighted to have the opportunity to meet with the minister and talk about the expanded role of the HTA programme as part of the proposed NIHR," says Professor Tom Walley, director of the HTA programme. "The HTA programme has an international reputation for research excellence, and the new responsive pragmatic trials facility will allow us to apply our expertise in new directions, producing research that makes a direct difference to patients."

Notes for editors


  1. The HTA programme is a programme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and produces high quality research information about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest of the NIHR programmes and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with more than 400 issues published to date. The journal’s 2007 Impact Factor (3.87) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk The HTA programme is coordinated by the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA), based at the University of Southampton.
  2. The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility.  The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training.  Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk

Contact details

Naomi Stockley, Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 646, Email: ns5@soton.ac.uk

Helen Nikandrou, Assistant Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 584, Email: h.nikandrou@soton.ac.uk

Advanced search How to use the search function