What is the Med Tech Funding Mandate?
The MedTech Funding Mandate (MTFM) is an NHS England programme to encourage and support Trusts to consider and implement selected NICE-approved cost-saving devices, diagnostics, and digital products more quickly.
The policy launched on 1 April 2021. After the first year of the new policy, new guidance was published for 2022/23 and currently 11 new technologies across different clinical areas are being supported.
The policy supports new technologies that are effective and improve patient outcomes and are cost-saving within three years, demonstrated through positive NICE guidance and modelling, and are affordable to the NHS.
MTFM implementation and funding in Dorset
As the policy name suggests, NHS commissioners and providers are mandated to agree local funding arrangements for the implementation of MTFM technologies. The AHSN Network has responsibility for delivering the MTFM policy nationally and working with colleagues at Wessex AHSN we at the Dorset Innovation Hub facilitate the implementation of the supported technologies locally.
When the policy was published NHS Dorset agreed that sufficient funding would be set aside to cover the implementation of all 11 MTFM technologies, based on likely usage estimates from clinical teams, where known, or Dorset population-level estimates generated by completing a NICE resource impact assessment for each product.
Implementation process
The 11 MTFM technologies are now at different stages – some have been implemented and others are still being considered – but the process is basically the same for them all.
The first step is to establish if a particular MTFM technology is applicable to any of the Dorset Trusts, for example gammaCore, a vagus nerve stimulator for treating cluster headaches is applicable only to the Dorset Headache Service at UHD, whereas the PlGF test for pre-eclampsia is applicable at UHD and DCH.
We then identify the relevant clinical team(s) and engage with them to inform them about the MTFM policy, the technology in question, and confirm their interest in considering and implementing the technology. We then work with the appointed clinical lead to establish a project team, usually consisting of clinical, management, procurement, finance, and other relevant stakeholders (e.g., IT) to review the MTFM/NICE evidence base and supporting documents to decide whether to implement the technology.
If the decision is yes, we then work with the project team to develop a Project Initiation Document (based on a generic template) and implementation plan, and support them to implement the technology, e.g., with approvals, liaising with IT, IG etc and training from suppliers, with additional support from WAHSN (regional link with national MTFM leads).
A key task early on in an implementation project is to complete a NICE resource impact assessment for the technology, based on Trust estimates (as opposed to Dorset-level numbers), and inform NHS Dorset of the funding requirement.
Links with NICE guidance and compliance
To be compliant with the MTFM policy, NHSE expects eligible patients to be able to access the technologies and suggests their use by a Trust can be used as evidence by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it is meeting its regulatory requirements.
All MTFM technologies are supported by NICE guidance and Trusts are required to implement them where clinically appropriate. But for some, such as Greenlight, a procedure for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, alternative procedures are already being used. In such cases, to comply with the MTFM policy we must document the reason(s) for non-adoption of the MTFM technology
Next steps: benefits realisation
We are now working on a benefits realisation programme for each of the implemented MTFM technologies, to ensure that the ‘real-world’ benefits match MTFM/NICE expectations, results from which can be used to inform future decisions about continuing use of a technology after MTFM funding by NHS Dorset ends.
Further information
For further information, please go to the following websites:
Derek Kelly
Programme Manager – Dorset Innovation Hub
