Consultation on the update of NICE-wide Topic Prioritisation manual in England

On April 22, 2026, NICE published an updated NICE-wide Topic Prioritisation manual (PMG46) for consultation. The manual sets out the process for how new guidance topics and updates to existing NICE guidance are identified, prioritized, and routed at NICE, and the decision-making framework used by the NICE prioritization board.

The key changes include the following:

• What NICE will consider as priority areas for NICE guidance and portfolio maintenance, and be clear about which topics are outside of NICE’s remit;
• The introduction of flexibility in routing decisions to support the Whole Life Cycle Approach to guidance. For example, updates can be routed to any guidance-producing programs and combinations of more than one type of guidance;
• The routing of HealthTech topics to technology appraisal (as part of the new National HealthTech Access Program, NHAP) is now clearly described. If the HealthTech topic was prioritized for routine-use HealthTech guidance, the NICE prioritization board can also make further proposals to the Secretary of State to develop NHAP guidance using NICE technology appraisal methods and processes;
• Criteria are set, which will be considered for the re-evaluation of early-use HealthTech guidance to routine-use HealthTech guidance.

The deadline for comment submission is May 19, 2026.

See more details here.

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