The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is turning more attention to medical devices and technologies in order to better support their use throughout the National Health Service.

The cost watchdog has announced that it will start producing MedTech Innovation Briefings alongside the guidance its already provides on innovative medical devices and diagnostics.

The Briefings will not include any recommendations by the Institute, but will provide decision-makers with a description of the technology, where it might be used in the treatment pathway, its cost and a review of related published evidence. 

NICE said it hopes the objective advice will help clinicians, health managers and procurement professionals with their local decision-making, as well as remove the need for NHS organisations to produce similar information for local use.

Publication of the first Briefings, developed as part of the NICE Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) are planned for February next year.

The first in development are: Versajet II hydrosurgery system, which enables a surgeon to precisely select, excise and evacuate nonviable tissue, bacteria and contaminants from wounds, burns and soft tissue; PressureWire FFR measurement system, designed to allow physicians to quickly and easily navigate tortuous vessels, which may reduce procedure time and eliminates the need for additional delivery devices; Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) test for kidney injury; and the RhinoChill intranasal cooling system, a device which cools the brain by spraying a coolant-oxygen mixture into the nasal cavity.