Executive perspectives: Sir Andrew Dillon (part 1)

Paul Tunnah interviews Sir Andrew Dillon

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Assessing the value of new medical interventions and ensuring the appropriate care pathways are in place has become ever more critical as tightening healthcare budgets are combined with aging global populations. The UK has arguably led the way in determining such mechanisms with the introduction of the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 1999, with its work now being visible on a global scale. So pharmaphorum was grateful to the Chief Executive of NICE since its inception, Sir Andrew Dillon, for taking the time to share his perspectives on these issues in a recent interview.

During the first part of this wide ranging discussion, we covered what is core to NICE delivering better healthcare to the patient, how its role could change over the next few years and the difficult challenge of weighing up treatments for long-term chronic conditions versus acute, often end of life, diseases. In addition, Sir Andrew provides a response to recent concerns raised by GlaxoSmithKline Chief Exec, Sir Andrew Witty, over the time taken for cancer medications to reach the UK market.

To watch the first part of this interview, please click on the play button below.

Quicklinks

0:15 – Lessons from Sir Andrew’s long NHS career on the role of NICE.

1:16 – The key to NICE’s longevity over 13 years.

2:07 – Likely impact of the NHS reforms on the role of NICE.

3:05 – How NICE weights up the benefits of chronic versus acute disease treatments.

5:12 – Has pharma become more adept at providing the right evidence?

6:15 – A response to Sir Andrew Witty’s (CEO, GlaxoSmithKline) concerns over ‘systematic delays’ around the introduction of new cancer medicines in the UK.

View part 2 of this interview here.

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About the interviewee:

Sir Andrew Dillon joined the NHS in 1975 and has held a number of senior management positions, including General Manager of the Royal Free Hospital and Chief Executive of St George's Healthcare NHS Trust. He joined the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as its founding Chief Executive in 1999.

Operating within the UK, NICE is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance and standards on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health. Its work focusses on providing guidance around the three core areas of public health, health technologies (including recommendation on the cost-effectiveness of new medicines) and clinical practice. In addition, NICE produces key quality standards for patient care and supports development of the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicators. It has become recognised globally as a model for helping health professionals deliver the best evidence-driven patient care.

For more information about NICE please visit www.nice.org.uk.

How can NICE work with pharma for better healthcare delivery?