HTA programme

In the UK, technology appraisals are administrated by the HTA programme, which is managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC); the HTA programme is one of five programmes managed by NETSCC. Created in 2008, NETSCC absorbed the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA) in 2009 to centralise the assessment of research applications. NETSCC's remit with the HTA programme is to identify those areas for which there is limited evidence and that are of importance to clinicians and patients, and to ensure that assessment of the evidence is done to a high standard and in a timely manner.

Although reporting directly to Department of Health, the HTA programme supports scientifically independent research and does not endorse or oppose implementation within the National Health Service (NHS) of the technologies being evaluated, rather it funds research to rigorously assess the effectiveness and costs associated with technologies to inform care providers and policy makers within the NHS.

Within the HTA programme, there are three streams through which the HTA identifies and funds key areas of interest to clinicians and patients: commissioned, HTA programme commissions research to fill gaps in knowledge base; researcher-led, HTA programme funds clinical trials designed to address areas of uncertainty in UK clinical practice and that have a focus on patient outcomes; and policy customers, such as NICE.

NICE has two technology appraisal processes: the Single Technology Appraisal (STA) and the Multiple Technology Appraisal (MTA). Although there are differences between the two processes, in each case, Technology Assessment Groups (TAGs), such as the BMJ-TAG, are commissioned to provide an independent critique of data on the effectiveness, both clinical and cost, of technologies referred to NICE by the Department of Health. The goal of each process is to produce a report that is used to inform the NICE Appraisal Committee, which, based on the report, issues a recommendation to the NHS – referred to as Appraisal Guidance – as to whether the technology should be implemented within the NHS. The research report is generally published in the Health Technology Assessment journal series at a later date. In addition, the core principles of the methods used for appraisal of the evidence and assessment of the cost effectiveness are common.