NICE and MHRA Joint Process from April 2026

From April 2026, NICE has begun working with the MHRA on a new joint process intended to reduce the time between marketing authorisation and technology appraisal publication. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan committed to patients receiving medicines 3–6 months faster as a result. NICE’s technology appraisal process is also being expanded to cover some devices, diagnostics, and digital products.²

Wales follows NICE technology appraisals automatically — the threshold increase from April 2026 therefore applies equally to NHS Wales commissioning. New medicines approved under the higher threshold will require Blueteq forms to be created and activated for the Welsh deployment. The AWMSG continues to assess medicines where NICE does not, and its One Wales process covers unlicensed and off-label medicines for individual patients.¹

Blueteq comment: The AWMSG’s 2024–2029 strategy emphasises the use of data and technology to improve medicines governance — a direction directly aligned with Blueteq’s core proposition.

References

1. Changes to NICE’s cost-effectiveness thresholds confirmed. NICE. December 2025. https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/changes-to-nice-s-cost-effectiveness-thresholds-confirmed
2. Patients to get new medicines up to six months sooner under new joint MHRA-NICE approval process. GOV.UK. 17 March 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process