Centre to assess new medical devices
Posted on 19 October 2011
It is one of four centres nationally to undertake assessments of medical devices on behalf of NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence).
The Centre contract provides an exciting opportunity to expand our collaboration with Newcastle
Professor John Hutton
The launch event at NUTH, celebrates the opening of an External Assessment Centre which sees YHEC and NUTH become partners in a major contract to assess and evaluate new and emerging medical technologies for NICE.
The centre will assess the technical, clinical and cost effectiveness of new medical devices to inform NICE guidance which helps NHS staff to make informed purchasing decisions. Scientists, economists and engineers at the centre will also work with NICE to facilitate further research on promising technologies where current evidence is limited.
Professor John Hutton, Director of the York Health Economics Consortium said: “YHEC has worked with NICE on a variety of projects since 1999 and we are particularly pleased to become one of its External Assessment Centres. The Centre contract provides an exciting opportunity to expand our collaboration with Newcastle to support the development, assessment and adoption of cost-effective technologies in the NHS”.
Dr Andrew Sims, Head of Clinical Measurement and Engineering Unit for the Regional Medical Physics Department at NUTH said: “It’s great to be able to launch the centre this week and let people know about all the great work we have been doing with York Health Economics Consortium in regards to medical device evaluation. Being involved in bringing new technologies into service and helping to ensure that devices are effective is something we are really proud of.”
Professor Carole Longson, Director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, said “We’re delighted to welcome the new joint external assessment centre based at Newcastle and York. Their input to the production of NICE medical technology guidance will be essential, providing independent assessment of the evidence available for devices going through the NICE evaluation process. We look forward to working with the centre, and benefitting from their combined technical and economics expertise in supporting the development of robust guidance for the NHS.”
For more information about the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme visit www.nice.org.uk/mt or www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk/services/medical-physics.aspx.
Notes to editors:
- NICE commissions external assessment centres from a range of organisations, including the NHS and academic bodies.
- The external assessment centre assesses a device and produces an assessment report for the NICE Medical Technology Advisory Committee. These centres have knowledge of and expertise in medical technologies and appropriate methods of evaluation.
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