Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still plan to increase the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost per quality-adjusted life years thresholds in April; and what steps they will take to implement that increase.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) currently assesses value for money for the National Health Service by applying a standard cost-effectiveness range of £20,000 to £30,000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained over and above current treatments. As part of the landmark pharmaceuticals trade deal with the United States of America, it has been agreed that the cost-effectiveness threshold will be increased to £25,000 to £35,000 per QALY.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, does not currently have the legal power to direct NICE to amend the cost-effectiveness threshold used in its technology appraisal or highly specialised technology programmes. The Government has therefore proceeded to amend the NICE regulations, to give ministers a limited power of direction to set the core cost-effectiveness threshold that NICE uses in the development of guidance, and remove the requirement for NICE to consult on methods changes where these result from a ministerial direction. The regulation change has been made by a statutory instrument which was laid before Parliament on 3 March 2026 and, subject to the will of Parliament, will come into force on 24 March 2026. In line with the United Kingdom-United States’ deal, NICE will implement the cost-effectiveness threshold increase in April 2026, following a direction from my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.