UK

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) have been changing the organizational landscape of the healthcare system for several years by developing new geographically-based partnerships called Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), bringing together providers and commissioners of NHS services with local authorities and other local partners to plan, coordinate and commission health and care services. On July 01, 2022, 42 ICSs became fully operational on a statutory basis of the 2022 Health and Care Act. Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are now abolished and replaced by 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)

In June 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) defined timelines for the evaluation of applications to update the National Genomic Test Directory in 2022/23. Applications can be submitted at any time throughout the year. Applications submitted before August 31, 2022, will be reviewed and considered for inclusion in the April 2023 update to the Test Directory

In June 2022, the Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) working group, which develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclatures for private payers in England, published Bulletins 0184 and 0081 with changes to be implemented no later than August 09, 2022. Two new procedure codes for robotic surgery and two new diagnostic codes were introduced.

On June 15, 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced designing Health Technology Assessment innovation Laboratory (HTA Lab), a new collaborative space for research and development. It will help drive solutions to current and future health challenges, taking innovation from the lab into practice, using a "sandbox" approach

On June 15, 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced a new program called Early Value Assessment for Medtech. The program will offer a rapid assessment of digital products, devices, and diagnostics for clinical effectiveness and value for money where the evidence base is still emerging to inform NHS commissioners. The two pilot assessments for health apps will begin in June 2022 and are expected to be published in October 2022. Further topics are expected in mental health, early cancer diagnosis, and cardiovascular disease.

In early June 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement updated information about the nationwide purchase and supply system for High Cost Tariff-Excluded Devices, which was introduced in 2016. The name of the program changed to the Specialised Service Devices program (SSDP). The program currently covers 15 categories of devices, and several new categories will be added during the 2022/23 financial year.

In late May 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement recalculated tariff prices to reflect higher inflation levels. They published an updated 2022/23 national tariff workbook and the non-mandatory prices workbook with increased prices.

On May 30, 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement updated the 2021/22 National Genomic Test Directory for cancer (version 4), which lists genomic tests commissioned by NHS England via Genomic Laboratory Hubs. However, no new codes were introduced.

In May 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Research in England released three MedTech-related reports in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned colonoscopy surveillance following adenoma removal and transfer of thawed frozen embryo versus fresh embryo to improve the healthy baby rate in women undergoing IVF, and digital smartphone intervention for schizophrenia. 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 guidance.

In May 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedure Guidance (endoanchoring systems in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, supercapsular percutaneously assisted total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis, personalized external aortic root support using mesh in people with Marfan syndrome), one Medical Technologies Guidance (Sleepio to treat insomnia and insomnia symptoms), and six Medtech innovation Briefings (ViewSite Brain Access System, Granulox for managing chronic wounds, AMBLor for identifying melanomas, Bladder EpiCheck for detecting bladder cancer recurrence, and others). No MedTech-related clinical guidelines were published.

In April 2022, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in England released two MedTech-related reports in its Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Journal, which concerned uterine artery embolization versus myomectomy for premenopausal women with uterine fibroids and supraglottic airway device versus tracheal intubation in the initial airway management. 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 April 2022, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Interventional Procedure Guidance (intramedullary distraction for upper limb lengthening, liposuction for chronic lymphoedema). Also, one new clinical guideline on epilepsies in children, young people, and adults was published, and one for stroke and transient ischaemic attack in over 16s was updated.