MedTech Funding Mandate

About the programme

As one of the 15 Academic Health Science Networks (Health Innovation Network), we work with NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) to deliver the MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM) policy. The policy aims to accelerate equitable patient access to NICE-recommended devices, diagnostics or digital products that deliver benefits to the NHS and its patients; are cost saving in year; and affordable to the NHS.  This is achieved by mandating commissioners to fund MTFM technologies where clinically appropriate.

Launched on 1st April 2021, the policy will enter its second year of implementation on 1st April 2022. The 2022/23 policy document contains guidance for NHS commissioners and providers of NHS-funded care.

Devices, diagnostics or digital products that wish to be included on the mandate go through a robust shortlisting and selection process and to be successful, technologies must meet the following criteria and demonstrate that they are:

  • Effective: demonstrated through positive NICE Medical Technologies Guidance (MTG) or Diagnostic Guidance (DG),
  • Cost-saving within three years: NICE modelling demonstrates a net saving in the first three years of implementing the technology,
  • Affordable to the NHS: the cost should not exceed £20 million, in any of the first three years.

Four technologies were introduced to the MTFM in 2021/22 (listed below) and these will remain on the MTFM as long as they meet the inclusion criteria outlined above.

The technologies introduced to the policy in 2021/22 were:

  1. Placental growth factor based testing (PlGF) – a blood test to rule out pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. [DG23].
  2. SecurAcath – for securing percutaneous catheters. [MTG34].
  3. HeartFlow – creates a 3D model of a patient’s coronary arteries and assesses the extent and location of blockages. [MTG32].
  4. gammaCore – a handheld device which alleviates the symptoms of severe cluster headaches. [MTG46].

There are now seven more technologies added to the MTFM for 2022/23, split into two categories:

A. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH):

    1. UroLift – lifts and holds the enlarged prostate tissue away from the urethra, relieving the compression of this organ. [MTG58]
    2. Rezum – minimally invasive procedure that uses water vapour (steam) to treat BPH. [MTG49]
    3. PLAMSA system – bipolar electrosurgery system for transurethral resection and haemostasis of the prostate. [MTG53]
    4. GreenLight XPS – vaporises and coagulates prostatic tissue with a laser. [MTG29]

B. Improving the patient experience during procedures:

  1. Thopaz+ – a portable, digital chest drainage and monitoring system. [MTG37]
  2. XprESS multi-sinus dilation system – a sterile, single-use device for treating chronic sinusitis. [MTG30]
  3. Spectra Optia – an apheresis and cell collection platform for the treatment of sickle cell disease. [MTG28]

The NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) team will regularly review NICE MTG and DG to identify medical devices, diagnostics and digital products which have been recommended by NICE and are likely to meet the MTFM criteria in the following year, and highlight these to providers and commissioners.

The role of the 15 Academic Health Science Networks (Health Innovation Network) is to support NHS providers to implement these mandated technologies within their regions. Some Health Innovation Networks also take on a national lead role with a technology and the responsibility to understand national implementation levels and potential barriers to adoption of the technology for which they are a National Lead.

HIWM is the National Lead for Thopaz+ , please click here to see more about this technology.

The AAC expects hospitals and commissioning organisations to comply with the policy guidance where appropriate. The Health Innovation Network delivery partners will work closely with commissioners, providers, clinicians, patient groups and others to understand the impact of the policy and support its development.

Find out more

Find out more

Click on the links below to the Product Pages to find further information relating to the MedTech Funding Mandate technologies.

You can also find out more about the MTFM in this series of short films recorded at the May 2021 AAC briefing, and access the presentation slides. You can also see the 2022/23 launch webinar on the FutureNHS website.

  • XprESS

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  • My Pneumothorax Journey

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  • Thopaz+

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  • GammaCore

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  • Heartflow

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  • SecurAcath

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  • Placental Growth Factor

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