UK

On December 19, 2022, NHS Digital released HRG4+ Consultation Grouper for 2023/24 to support NHS England’s consultation process for the 2023/25 NHS Payment Scheme. There are no new HRGs or other significant changes in the 2023/24 Consultation Grouper. Local Payment Grouper will supersede Consultation Grouper in March 2023 for use from April 1, 2023.

In December 2022, NHS England published an update of the Specialized Services Policy Pipeline (as of December 6, 2022). No new MedTech-related Clinical Commissioning Policies were added to the work program, and three new policies were published in the period from September 6, 2022, to December 6, 2022. The status of ongoing policies was updated as well.

In November 2022, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England released one MedTech-related report in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned SeHCAT (radiopharmaceutical) for the investigation of bile acid diarrhea. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and informs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

In November 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published five new Interventional Procedure Guidance (extracorporeal shockwave therapy for calcific tendinopathy in the shoulder, balloon disimpaction of the baby's head at emergency cesarean, percutaneous ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for benign thyroid nodules, ab interno canaloplasty for open-angle glaucoma, tunnelled peritoneal drainage catheter insertion), and two new Medical Technologies Guidance (GreenLight XPS, Optilume). Also, one new clinical guideline was published, and one was updated.

In November 2022, NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative decided not to add new technologies to MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM) in 2023/24. Instead, Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are asked to prioritize the appropriate adoption of currently supported technologies where this has not yet occurred. The MTFM supports eleven NICE-approved and cost-saving devices, diagnostics, and digital products, making them mandatory for implementation and funding.

In November 2022, NHS Digital published a final summary of core changes from OPCS-4.9 to OPCS-4.10 to be introduced from April 01, 2023. OPCS-4 is a statistical classification for clinical coding of interventions and procedures undertaken within the NHS. It is updated every three years. A total of 236 new four-character codes will be implemented in OPCS-4.10. Key changes concern cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endoscopy, ENT, nephrology and urology, neurology and neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic, and breast surgery fields.

In November 2022, NHS England defined a deadline for applications to the High Cost Device List (HCDL) changes to be implemented in the 2024/25 National Tariff Payment System. The completed application form should be submitted via email by May 31, 2023.

MedTech-related health technology assessments from NIHR in October 2022 In October 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released one MedTech-related report in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned photodynamic versus white-light-guided resection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and informs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

In October 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Interventional Procedure Guidance (YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters, transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the supraorbital nerve for treating and preventing migraine), one Medical Technologies Guidance (Magtrace and Sentimag system for locating sentinel lymph nodes for breast cancer) and three new Medtech Innovation Briefings (O2matic PRO 100, Daylight, Signatera). Also, one new clinical guideline was published on osteoarthritis.

On October 12, 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced the launch of an official collaboration with five other HTA bodies from Canada, Australia, Scotland, and Wales. The partners will remain independent and work together on shared priorities. Five initial priority areas have been agreed upon, including COVID-19, digital health, and Artificial Intelligence. The partnership could be expanded to include other HTA bodies in the future.

On March 16, 2022, NHS England launched a strategy for embedding genomics in the NHS over the next five years. The ambition is to accelerate the use of genomic medicine across the NHS, providing a world-leading, equitable service to populations and individuals.

In September 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released one MedTech-related report in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned early computed tomography coronary angiography in acute coronary syndrome. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS and informs National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.