HC Deb 29 April 2002 vol 384 c621W
Dr. Fox

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time a(a) technology and (b) medicine appraisal has taken place under the auspices of the National Institute for Technical Excellence. [47862]

Yvette Cooper

The appraisal process of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence takes about one year from initial scoping work to the issue of final guidance. The timetable can be longer for appraisals which are particularly complex or where the determination is subject to appeal.