The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has decided that it should adopt a more transparent process for its assessments of treatments used by the National Health Service.
At a public meeting in Llandudno on November 15 the NICE board decided that provisional and final determinations should be published on its website (www.nice. org.uk). It decided to change its policy of keeping provisional decisions confidential in the light of frequent leaking of its reports before finalisation. Provisional reports had been kept under wraps at the request of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the Association of British Health-care Industries (suppliers of medical equipment, devices and services) because they believed that the reports could affect share prices.
The institute is now to consult stakeholders and the Financial Services Authority. The results will be reported to the NICE board's January, 2001, meeting. Until then, the existing policy will continue.
In a statement on November 16, Professor Sir Michael Rawlins (chairman, NICE) said: "It was clear to the board that the current position regarding confidentiality is unsustainable. There are large numbers of people involved in the consultation process and while NICE can guarantee the integrity of its own processes, we cannot control what others might do. Therefore, confidential documents have been regularly leaked. This is not in the interests of either the institute or patients."
If the policy does change, the institute is likely to give manufacturers a couple of days' warning so that they can work out how to handle the stock market impact.
Before the NICE board reached its decision, the ABPI expressed strong reservations over the possibility of publishing provisional recommendations.