Health and Social care Committee

Access to medical technologies in Wales

MT ToR 26 Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) at NICE

Further to the letter from Mark Drakeford AM of 23 August 2012, the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) at NICE welcomes the opportunity to comment on the scope for the inquiry into access to medical technologies in Wales.

Based on NICE’s experience in establishing the MTEP and the Diagnostics Assessment Programme, we would suggest the following items are considered in the scope of the enquiry:

- The scope should aim to cover the whole range of medical technologies including in-vitro diagnostics and imaging equipment as all can potentially offer benefits for patients and the healthcare system;

- Medical technologies companies are often small or medium-sized organisations, sometimes requiring considerable support in devising and developing products which address genuine unmet clinical or health system needs. This includes carrying out research to generate evidence to support the case for adoption in the NHS;

- The technical characteristics (such as usability, compatibility, training, installation) of medical devices and diagnostic tests often means that NHS organisations require specialist support in identifying and overcoming barriers to adoption;

- Appraisal (health technology assessment) of medical technologies is fundamentally different from the appraisal of pharmaceuticals. NICE has programmes which already provide guidance on medical devices and diagnostics that is relevant to healthcare professionals and patients in Wales and would be pleased to consider whether are issues local to users of Medical Technologies or Diagnostics Guidance in Wales that are not considered appropriately by NICE, and how this could be accomplished in future.

I hope this is helpful.  Please me know if I can be of further assistance.

Mark Campbell

Associate Director - Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Level 1A | City Tower | Piccadilly Plaza | Manchester | M1 4BD

United Kingdom