Nice: Decisions could take more time
Friday, 02 May 2008 11:34
The body that decides which drugs should be made available on the NHS has warned a recent Court of Appeal ruling could lengthen its decision-making process.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has been told that it must be more transparent about how it decides which drugs are cost effective.
Nice chief executive Andrew Dillon said the body would be "considering very carefully… the implications for the time it takes us to provide advice to patients and the NHS on the use of new treatments".
"The ruling will increase the complexity of our drug appraisals in some cases and they may take longer as a result," he warned.
Mr Dillon emphasised the difficult job Nice officials have in making decisions about treatments.
"We have worked very hard to ensure our decision-making process is as robust and transparent as possible," he said.
"This judgment concerns a small but important step in our process and method for making decisions on the best way to use new treatments in the NHS.
"We work hard to ensure that what we do is sound and works in the best interests of everyone who relies on the NHS for their care."