NICE

Paul Atkinson is Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems at the University of Liverpool. He is a historian with an interest in health policy and the use of evidence for policy.Sally Sheard is Executive Dean of the Institute of Population Health, and Andrew Geddes and John Rankin Professor of Modern History, at the University of Liverpool. She is a health policy historian and analyst with an interest in the interface between expert advisers and policymakers.

"This book is a thoroughly researched history of NICE which tells its story in the words of many of those who were in the room where it happened. It is an indispensable account of an institutional innovation which largely achieved its objectives. The book will be of interest to readers who wish to understand the economics and politics of priority setting in health care in the real world."—Professor Sir Chris Ham"Any organisation that attracts admiration, criticism, world-wide interest and controversy deserves an authoritative historical record. Whilst British healthcare organisations all too often get abolished or reformed in their early years, this remarkable and fascinating book explores NICE’s evolution and survival, and honestly explores both its successes and the many challenges it has faced."—Sir David Haslam, Chair of NICE, 2013–2019, Dorset, UK"Atkinson and Sheard skilfully illuminate the history and evolution of NICE, one of the UK’s most important health regulatory institutions, interweaving oral testimony with archival research and policy theory. The book is a powerful account of the persistent challenges faced by modern health systems of balancing finite resources against new therapeutic possibilities and health gains for individuals and populations."—Stephanie Snow, Professor of Health, History and Policy; Director: NHS at 70, University of Manchester, UK"Few organisations have had as much impact on translating evidence-based medicine into practice as NICE has had in the UK. From the appraisal of drugs to the production of guidelines, the organisation has had to navigate one of the most challenging policy areas. Based on extensive archival research and interviews with those involved, this groundbreaking book will be essential reading for historians of recent medicine and health policy makers."—Carsten Timmermann, Professor of History of Science, Technology & Medicine, University of Manchester

• 0.Introduction. 1.Origins. 2.A Policy Window Opens (May 1997 – autumn 1999). 3.The ‘Boost Phase’: NICE at Work, 1999-2006. 4.The Public and Patients. 5.Health Technology Appraisal, 1999-2007. 6.NICE Guidelines. 7.Public Health and Social Care. 8.From Gatekeeper to Access and Innovation Champion? NICE and Appraisal Since 2007. 9.Conclusions. Appendix 1.List of persons quoted and their connection with NICE. Appendix 2.Comprehensive list of NICE guidelines up to 6 March 2024.