§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the nature, extent and timetable of his review of the workings of NICE. [50055]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 16 April 2002]: The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry included a wide-ranging review of the role of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. We carefully considered the inquiry team's recommendations and published our response.
We are now carrying out a consultation on a number of outstanding issues. In March of this year, the Department and the National Assembly for Wales issued a discussion paper entitled "Clinical Guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence: Timing and Selection of Topics for Appraisal". The closing date for responses is 7 June 2002.
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on the treatment of patients of the length of time taken by NICE, to assess treatments. [50054]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 16 April 2002]: The treatment of patients is enhanced by authoritative guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). In order to produce authoritative guidance, NICE's processes need to be of sufficient length to allow for proper evaluation of evidence and full consultation with stakeholders and experts.