Media Centre :: Press Releases
01/01/02
ABHI calls for clarity in NICE'S role
"The publication of the House of Commons Health Select Committee
report into NICE has addressed several concerns often expressed by
the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI)",
Director-General Gordon Aylward said today.
Coinciding with this report is the news that NICE is also
consulting on the future review of new surgical procedures. It has
taken responsibility for the Safety and Efficacy Register of New
Interventional Procedures (SERNIP) but it is not clear how NICE
will avoid duplication and the creation of new market barriers.
Gordon Aylward said: "The majority of new surgical procedures
exist because there are new medical devices. These procedures are
consequently regulated through existing regulation enforced by the
Medical Devices Agency (MDA). There is no role for NICE in this
part of the process"
The role of NICE in assessing technologies and the suggestion
from the Health Select Committee report regarding implementation
and monitoring of NICE recommendations is fully endorsed by the
ABHI. It is the view of the health-care industry that if patients
are going to realise the benefits of this sophisticated appraisal
system, there must be better execution of decisions.
The Select Committee's report makes a call for the consideration
of wider societal costs and advantages of particular treatments and
in particular the wider costs and benefits to the public purse of
reduced benefit dependency and improved ability to work
ABHI have long been campaigning for a new paradigm of cost
evaluations where the cost of the patient/user wellness is not
calculated simply on the cost of the treatment, but on the reduced
dependency of the patient on the social system", Mr Aylward
said.
A full copy of the ABHI response on SERNIP and a list of
key points from the Select Committee's report are available to ABHI
members.
Notes for editors: * The Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) is the lead trade association for the medical systems industry. This sector comprises not only manufacturers of medical devices, equipment and consumables, but also service companies, distributors, professional groups (such as regulatory consultants and lawyers), and other suppliers to the medical community.
* The ABHI represents approx. 200 member companies with a total domestic turnover of about £3 billion representing approx. 80% of the industry output.
* The membership currently includes several Special Interest Sections and four sectoral trade associations, which in turn have a further 400 member companies.
* Member list: www.abhi.org.uk
* The role of the Association is to:
- Advance and promote medical systems (devices, equipment, technologies and services) within the UK and globally.
- Provide a forum for policy discussion with the industry's customers, legislators, public bodies and interested groups.
For further information contact:
Daniel Jones: 020 7960 4360
Email: daniel.jones@abhi.org.uk
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