UK

In November 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new diagnostics guidance (for point-of-care creatinine devices and rapid tests for group A streptococcal infections), one new interventional procedure guidance (for irreversible electroporation for primary liver cancer) and two new MedTech innovation briefings (for Leukomed Sorbact for preventing surgical site infection and AmnioSense for unexplained vaginal wetness in pregnancy).

On October 29, 2019, the NHS England updated the clinical commissioning work programs including clinical commissioning policy work program, specialized commissioning service specification work program, commissioning through evaluation work programs.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New procedure codes concern injection eustachian tuboplasty, extracorporeal shockwave therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome, robotic-assisted laparoscopic excision of recto-vaginal endometriosis, and diagnostic codes for alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, NK cell inhibition panel, XR whole spine, and others. The codes are introduced with a recommended adoption date being the 1st of February 2020. The documents also contain a list of textual changes in codes, unacceptable combinations, and inactivated codes.

In October 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new interventional procedure guidance (for midcarpal hemiarthroplasty for wrist arthritis) and two new MedTech innovation briefings (for superDimension Navigation System to help diagnostic sampling of peripheral lung lesions and MR-proADM test for use with clinical deterioration scores in cases of suspected infection).

Outcomes Based Healthcare and My Diabetes My Way have been selected as Health Data Research UK (HDRUK) Sandbox projects.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) group develops and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New procedure codes concern scar revision, robotic-assisted thymectomy, prophylactic oophorectomy/ hysterectomy, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, delivery of fraction of proton beam therapy for non-ocular adult tumors and diagnostic codes for myriad breast and ovarian cancer panel 101 test, clinical exome sequencing MPLA test, and others. The codes are introduced with a recommended adoption date being the 1st of February 2020. The documents also contain a list of textual changes in codes and inactivated codes.

NHSX is working with the market at a national level to create a platform of digital tools like NHS Login that can be built on by digital health innovators.

In September 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new interventional procedure guidance (for implant insertion for prominent ears, high-intensity focused ultrasound for glaucoma, and bioprosthetic plug insertion for anal fistula) and five new MedTech innovation briefings (for SuperNO2VA for the relief of upper airway obstruction in people with obstructive sleep apnoea, The V.A.C. Veraflo Therapy system for infected wounds, UroShield for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections, InterDry for intertrigo, and Alpha-Stim AID for anxiety).

In August 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published one new MedTech innovation briefings for vacuum therapy for colorectal anastomotic leakage and two new interventional procedure guidance for endovascular insertion of an intrasaccular wire-mesh blood-flow disruption device for intracranial aneurysms and the Papillon technique for locally advanced rectal cancer.

In May and November each year, NHS England makes decisions on which new treatments should be included for routine commissioning. The decisions are taken by the NHS England Board based on recommendations from the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG), which is made up of doctors, health experts, and patient representatives.

NICE issued a consultation document about safety and efficacy of balloon cryoablation for Barrett’s oesophagus and squamous dysplasia of the oesophagus and balloon dilation for eustachian tube dysfunction which were considered for Interventional Procedures Guidance in development for public consultation until 20 September 2019.

The Clinical Coding and Schedule Development (CCSD) group develop and maintains procedural and diagnostics nomenclature for private payers in England. New procedure codes concern hip replacement, endoscopic ablation, multiple arthroscopic operations on the ankle, collagen paste for closing an anal fistula and diagnostic codes for tests for next generations sequencing molecular intelligence, and others. The codes are introduced with a recommended adoption date being the 1st of November 2019. The documents also contain a list of textual changes in codes, inactivated codes, and an updated list of unacceptable combinations of codes.