1. Developing a Celtic Connections Regional HTA Alliance
Dr Susan Myles, Director Health Technology Wales (HTW)
Mr Edward Clifton, Unit Head, Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG)
Dr Anne Dee, Chair Health Technology Assessment Group (HTAG)
Dr Mairin Ryan, Director of HTA, Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA)
@HealthTechWales

2. Outline Background to developing the Alliance
Methods to establish the Alliance
Early results of the Alliance
Learning and conclusion
@HealthTechWales

3. Background HTW origins
Access to medical technologies in Wales (Dec 2014)
A Health Technology Adoption Hub for Wales (Apr 2016)
Velindre NHS University Trust to host
Renamed “Health Technology Wales” “Technoleg Iechyd Cymru”

4. Background HTW Launch 27 November 2017
“HTW is an independent, arms-length organisation that will deliver authoritative evidence-informed advice to health boards in Wales about the value for money of non-medicine health technologies,” said Mr Gething. “It is an exciting development that will support the identification of new non-medicine health technologies that are important to Wales”

5. Background

6. Methods: Formalise collaboration & partnership working
Improve shared understanding of work programme & processes
Co-produce or adapt evidence reviews of mutual interest
Promote knowledge exchange & transfer
Enhance professional & personal development for each agency’s staff

7. Methods: Memorandum of Understanding

8. Methods

9. Results: Adapting Appraisals

10. Results: Adapting Appraisals

11. Results: Co-producing Appraisals]

12. Results: Sharing Intelligence

13. Results: Senior Staff Secondment
8 month secondment work on ATMPs
Directly relevant for work of HTW & HIS
Invaluable learning for SHTG & SMC
Enhanced knowledge of qualitative research & PPI
Co-produced the Synovasure appraisal with HTW researchers
NICE Meta Tool training & conference attendance
Shared experience on SOPs & impact evaluation
Case study on HTW website

14. Results: Training
Enhanced professional & personal development for staff
Opened up training on CE marking & medical device regulations
SHTG secondee opportunity to develop qualitative research skills & qualify as a NICE Meta Tool Facilitator
HTW Information Scientist bespoke 121 training at SHTG
Enhanced access to methodological advice
Forum for discussion & peer support

15. Results: Other Regular sharing of work programmes
Reciprocal observer membership on each country’s national committees
Enhanced access to independent experts & broader stakeholders
Improved quality assurance & ‘critical friend’ peer review
Reduced duplication of effort

16. Future Benefits Building & broadening capacity through shared learning
Ongoing access to a wider professional peer group
Potential aid to recruitment & retention
Divide and conquer through smarter joint working
Future joint evidence appraisals, publications & dissemination

17. Learnings Significant time to sign-off MoU. Avoid the lawyers!
Demarcating evidence review and guidance crucial
Adapting and co-producing evidence reviews easier than expected
Is possible to adapt economic & resource impact models
Potential collective bargaining power

18. Conclusions Co-produced evidence reviews but bespoke guidance
Realised demonstrable economies of scale and scope
Genuinely improved knowledge exchange & transfer
Increased the profile of each nations work & HTA body

19. Contact HTW

20. Contact HTW, HIQA, HTAG, SHTG