The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) is responsible for providing guidance to the National Health Service in England and Wales on the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of medicines and medical technologies.

After a review of the Institute by the House of Commons Health Select Committee in 2002, NICE commissioned a series of internal reviews on their work, and requested the WHO Regional Office for Europe to carry out an external review on their methods and processes as well as their scientific robustness. The WHO team of experts based their report on the review of a series of technology appraisals, including confidential material, and extensive discussions with NICE staff, Appraisal Committee members, members of the Technical Assessment Groups and other stakeholders during the course of two visits to NICE in summer 2003.

The report contains a series of recommendations on how NICE could further develop the technology appraisal process.

As NICE is internationally a leading agency in technology assessment, the important recommendations and observations contained in the report will be useful to other countries that are embarking on similar endeavours.