Med Tech-related technology assessments from NICE in March 2026

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops HealthTech Guidance (HTG) to evaluate HealthTech products (such as diagnostics, medical devices, and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence) and interventional procedures. The program focuses on assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of HealthTech products and the safety and efficacy of interventional procedures. 

NICE uses a lifecycle approach for HTG, reflecting the development stage of technology: Early use (innovative technologies with potential to address NHS unmet needs but insufficient evidence); Routine use (innovative technologies with sufficient evidence for widespread NHS adoption); Existing use (assess technologies in widespread use in the NHS to inform commissioning and procurement decisions).

NICE generally makes four types of recommendations: “Can be used” is the most favorable recommendation, meaning routine NHS use; “Can be used during the evidence generation period” – recommendation is conditional on evidence generation; “More research is needed” – limits the use to research settings only; “Should not be used”. The exception is existing use HTG, which recommends whether any technology should be used over other similar technologies in widespread NHS use, and what to consider when choosing between them. Recommendations are not binding, although they are typically followed by providers and commissioners.

In March 2026, NICE released four new HTGs and made the following recommendations:

Surgical insertion of a catheter-based left ventricular microaxial flow pump for cardiogenic shock and percutaneous insertion of a catheter-based left ventricular microaxial flow pump for cardiogenic shock can be used in the NHS during the evidence generation period as an option to manage cardiogenic shock. 

Recommendations on off-pump minimal access mitral valve repair by artificial chordae insertion to treat mitral regurgitation caused by mitral valve leaflet prolapse depend on the clinical situation:

• When open-heart surgery and other mitral valve repair procedures are considered unsuitable by the multidisciplinary team, the procedure can be used in the NHS during the evidence generation period, as an option to treat mitral regurgitation caused by mitral valve leaflet prolapse in adults;
• When open-heart surgery or other mitral valve repair procedures are considered suitable by the multidisciplinary team, more research is needed before the procedure can be used in the NHS.

Recommendations on Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help detect or characterise colorectal polyps depend on clinical indications:

• For people who do not have diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Lynch syndrome, six artificial intelligence technologies (ENDO-AID, CADDIE, CAD EYE, Endoscreener, GI Genius, MAGNETIQ-COLO) can be used during the evidence generation period to help detect colorectal polyps during colonoscopy. More research is needed on four AI technologies used to help detect colorectal polyps during colonoscopy and four AI technologies used to help characterize colorectal polyps.
• For people with diagnosed IBD or Lynch syndrome: More research is needed on ten AI technologies to help detect or characterize colorectal polyps for people with diagnosed IBD or Lynch syndrome. 

In addition, NICE updated clinical guidelines on kidney cancer, fetal monitoring in labour and fertility problems.

See the full details here.

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