NHS research and development: a research strategy for nuclear medicine

The objective of the National Health Service (NHS) research and development strategy is to ensure that the content and delivery of care in the NHS is based on high quality research relevant to improving the health of the nation. In 1991 Professor Michael Peckham was appointed Director of Research and Development, with a target of 1.5% of the NHS budget to be spent on research and development by 1997/98. The Standing Group on Health Technology (SGHT) was formed to advise on the need for health technology assessment in the NHS. Health technology assessment (HTA) can be defined as the assessment of the effectiveness, costs and impact of a health technology on health care. The SGHT is aided by five advisory panels, one of which is the Diagnostics and Imaging Panel, covering all areas of Laboratory Medicine and Imaging. In 1993 the panel was asked by the SGHT to identify new and existing technologies in need of assessment, to identify technologies with insufficient evidence of value and in need of assessment prior to diffusion throughout the NHS, and to identify emerging technologies which may have a major impact on the NHS in the future. Formal consultation processes at both regional and national level were used to obtain recommendations for HTA from the NHS, patient and professional organizations, including the British Nuclear Medicine Society and European Association of Nuclear Medicine (BNMS and the EANM). Of the 197 recommendations received, 16 were considered a high priority and forwarded to the SGHT in October 1993.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)