Consideration of SHTG advice: a guide for NHS Boards
Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) advice is provided to inform NHS Boards' use of health technologies. SHTG advice identifies health technologies that can improve or transform health outcomes and deliver patient and system value. SHTG advice is based on an objective assessment of the evidence, taking into account clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, safety, and patient and clinical expert views.
NHS Boards are required to consider advice from SHTG. Boards are encouraged to have formal mechanisms in place to receive, consider, and communicate SHTG advice.
Developing a formal process for the consideration of SHTG advice is intended to support Boards to:
- optimise patient outcomes and safety
- ensure value for money, through efficiency savings and improved resource utilisation
- identify health and care system benefits
- enhance the consistency and transparency of decision making on health technologies and thereby increasing understanding of issues around equity of access.
SHTG has worked with Scottish Government to develop a guide for Boards who are seeking to develop or improve their process for considering advice on health technologies. The guide supports Boards to develop a mechanism that will work well within their structures, matches their available skills, facilitates decision making and accountability, and promotes local ownership.
We know that health technologies are critical to the effective delivery of a range of services covering diagnosis, therapy, monitoring and rehabilitation. In identifying a formal process for the consideration of advice, this guide provides Boards with an opportunity to increase efficiency, improve sustainability and achieve best value. The Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG), part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, has a proven track record for supporting NHS Scotland to deliver value-based health and care and to take enhanced, evidence based decisions on non-medicine technologies which can have real impact on improving patient outcomes. We strongly recommend the use of this guide so that benefits for patients and healthcare providers can be realised.
John Burns, Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland and Professor Jason Leitch CBE, National Clinical Director