Med Tech-related health technology assessments in Wales in June-July 2025

Health Technology Wales (HTW) is a national body working to improve the quality of care in Wales. It is funded by the Welsh Government and hosted within NHS Wales, but is independent of both. HTW covers medical devices, diagnostics, procedures, psychological therapies, models of care, and social care support, excluding pharmaceuticals.

HTW uses a staged process of assessment by developing three types of documents. The topic exploration report (TER) aimed to assess whether there is enough evidence to proceed with a full appraisal and whether the topic meets the appraisal selection criteria. Based on the TER conclusions, HTW's Assessment Group decides whether to progress this topic further. If yes, the following two documents can be developed: Evidence Appraisal Report (EAR) and Guidance (GUI). Recommendations are not mandatory; the status of HTW guidance is "adopt or justify," meaning that the local health board and other relevant bodies are expected to report on how they have considered the appraisal and guidance. If they have chosen not to adopt HTW guidance, they are asked to outline their rationale and justify their decision.

In June-July 2025, HTW accomplished one full appraisal and published an Evidence Appraisal Report and Guidance on the use of implantable tibial neuromodulation devices (TNS) to treat urge urinary incontinence (UUU). HTW concluded that current evidence is insufficient to recommend routine use of the devices, and further research is needed on their long-term effectiveness, comparative efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.

Four Med Tech-related TERs were published in June-July 2025, for which HTW's Assessment Group decided not to proceed with the full appraisal. Some examples are provided below: 

• AI-assisted pathology to triage suspected gastric cancer biopsies;
• Electroencephalogram neurofeedback systems for chronic pain. 

For one TER on AI-assisted ultrasound for detecting deep vein thrombosis, HTW's Assessment Group decided to proceed with a full appraisal. Recent evidence indicates that the technology demonstrates comparable sensitivity to standard ultrasound scans and a net economic benefit.

In addition, two TERs were published in the radiotherapy and e-Health fields, for which a decision on whether to move forward with full appraisal is pending.

See the full details here.

This news is just one of about 300 market access news collected by our team in the premium subscription service Market Access Monitor every week from more than 80 organizations. Access our paid service to stay on top of all developments specifically for your products in Europe (reimbursement news) and globally (HTA news). Access is organized as an online Database and email alert formats. Contact us to get a free, three-month, no-obligation trial.