Market Access for Medical Technologies in England

In December 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England updated its manual on technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies. The scope and terminology were clarified, and further details were provided to support the production of technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies on HealthTech (that is, medical devices, diagnostics, digital technologies).

On December 9, 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a consultation on the government’s proposals to give ministers limited powers to direct the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in setting the standard cost-effectiveness threshold. Comments can be submitted online by January 13, 2026.

In November 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released four Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned procalcitonin evaluation of antibiotic use in COVID-19 hospitalized patients, comparison of the knee arthroplasty versus joint distraction for osteoarthritis, comparison of surgical approaches for mitral valve repair, as well as comparison of sample types for diagnostics of infected diabetic foot ulcers.