The Health Select Committee is a permanent committee in the House of Commons. It investigates any subject related to the NHS and healthcare and has the power to request evidence and call witnesses.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)

The Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into aspects of the work of the NICE. Areas of particular interest include:

• why NICE’s decisions are increasingly being challenged;
• whether public confidence in the Institute is waning, and if so why;
• NICE’s evaluation process, and whether any particular groups are disadvantaged by the process;
• the speed of publishing guidance;
• the appeal system;
• comparison with the work of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN); and
• the implementation of NICE guidance, both technology appraisals and clinical guidelines (which guidance is acted on, which is not and the reasons for this).

Cancerbackup has submitted evidence to the inquiry: