Accelerated Access Collaborative and NHS England and Improvement are to launch its MedTech Funding Mandate on 1 April 2021.
The mandate, to launch in a couple of months, aims to get the best devices, diagnostics and digital products adopted quicker.
Four technologies, who meet the criteria to demonstrate cost savings within 12 months, will be supported as part of the programme. These technologies are:
- Placental growth factor based testing – a blood test to rule out pre-eclampsia in pregnant women
- SecurAcath – for securing percutaneous catheters
- HeartFlow – creates a 3D model of a patient’s coronary arteries and assesses the extent and location of blockages
- gammaCore – a handheld device which alleviates the symptoms of severe cluster headaches
The programme also works with NICE to put technologies through the appropriate assessments. Earlier in 2021, NICE completed its first digital health technologies assessment as part of pilot project, a process for new technologies to evaluate if they are clinically effective and offer economic value.
From 1 April 2022 technologies not previously supported by the programme may be covered by the MedTech Funding Mandate, with further information due in July 2021.
The consultation report is available here. The guidance for 2021/22 is published here.
