Dr Claire Packer

Agency:

NHSC

Job Title:

Director

Organisation:

National Horizon Scanning Centre

Tel:

(+44) 121 414 7831

Fax:

(+44) 121 414 2269

Email:

c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Website:

http://www.nhsc-healthhorizons.org.uk

Address:

Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Depa, 90 Vincent Drive, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, B15 2SP

Agency Member Since:

26/5/1998

Additional Contacts:

Sue Simpson

EAAS Name:

National Horizon Scanning Centre

EAAS Host Organisation:

University of Birmingham, Dept of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Country and/or Region:

England

Year EAAS formally established:

1998

EAAS Status:

Temporary (i.e. fixed term funding)

EAAS Main Output Language:

English

EAAS Description:

The National Horizon Scanning Centre (NHSC) aims to provide advance notice to the Department of Health and key national policy makers in England of selected new and emerging health technologies that might require urgent evaluation, consideration of clinical and cost impact or modification of clinical guidance, around 2-3 years prior to launch on the National Health Service (NHS). The NHSC is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) programme and is funded by the Department of Health for England. The NHSC’s main customers are the Department of Health for England, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme, the UK National Screening Committee, and the National Commissioning Group for rare disorders. The National Horizon Scanning Centre's main output is technology briefings and notes on new and emerging health technologies. Briefings that have been produced since January 2000 are available on the NHSC website http://www.pcpoh.bham.ac.uk/publichealth/horizon/. The Centre has an active research programme and has presented and published papers on horizon scanning methods and the diffusion and impact of new health technologies.

Main source of funding:

National health system - Department of Health or health services

Purpose of EAAS:

• To inform decisions on coverage or reimbursement of health services
• To inform decisions on undertaking primary research
• To inform decisions on undertaking secondary research (health technology assessments, systematic reviews)

Types of technologies covered by EAAS:

• Pharmaceuticals (including vaccines)
• Devices (including imaging equipment)
• Diagnostics (diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers)

Main customers of EAAS:

• National Government Health Departments & Ministers
• Health services purchasers, commissioners or other decision makers
• National research & development programme
• Other:
• National evaluation & guidance producers

Contents of Main Output from EAAS:

• Potential for significant health service impact