Meeting
HTA Funding Committee (Commissioning)
Day 1 - Tuesday 14th September 2021
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Present members
Professor Marian Knight (Chair) (AM only)
Professor Catherine Hewitt (Deputy Chair)
Professor Andrew Farmer (Programme Director)
Professor Joy Adamson
Mr Roshan Bootun
Professor Monica Busse
Mr Paul Charlton (Public Committee Member)
Dr Rui Duarte
Dr Emilio Fernandez-Egea
Dr David Gillespie
Dr Pollyanna Hardy
Professor Angela Hassiotis
Mr Rakesh Heer
Ms Debby Lennard (Public Committee Member)
Professor Nick Maskell
Professor Jane Nixon
Professor Daniel Perry
Dr Greta Rait
Professor Rebecca Reynolds
Professor Chris Rogers
Professor Jonathan Ross
Professor Andrew Shennan (PM only)
Professor Sobha Sivaprasad
Dr Beth Stuart
Dr Chris Sutton
Associate Professor Lyvonne Tume
Professor Galina Velikova
Professor Nefyn Williams
NETSCC, HTA Secretariat
Laura Bradley (Research Manager)
Steph Garfield-Birkbeck (Head of the HTA Programme)
Dr Jason Horsely (Consultant Advisor)
Hebe Sims (Assistant Research Manager)
Kathy Tier (Research Manager)
Karen Williams (Senior Research Manager)
Apologies
Professor Marian Knight – (PM)
Associate Professor Antonieta Medina-Lara
Professor Rebecca Reynolds – 13:45 – 15:15
Professor Andrew Shennan (AM)
Observers
Mr Trevor Jones (Public Committee Member)
Ms Emma Small (HCRW)
Quoracy Information
Voting members: 28 Quorum = 19
Voting members present on Day 1: 27 (96%)
Stage 2 applications
20/127 Occupational advice initiated prior to planned surgery for lower limb joint replacement
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr Christopher Sutton, Dr Claire Rothery, Mr Trevor Jones, Professor Catherine Hewitt, Professor Chris Rogers, Professor Galina Velikova, Professor Greta Rait, Professor Jonathan Ross, Professor Joy Adamson, Professor Monica Busse, Professor Nefyn Williams, Professor Nick Maskell
NIHR133713: Occupational advice initiated prior to planned surgery for lower limb joint replacement: the ORCHID trial
(Associate Professor Vikki Wylde, University of Bristol)
Decision: Decline
NIHR133880: Occupational support for Patients undergoing Arthroplasty of the Lower limb trial (OPAL2)
(Mr Paul Baker, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/133 Pre-operative exclusive enteral nutrition for Crohn's disease
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Dr Rui Duarte, Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Jonathan Ross
NIHR133657: Optimisation before Crohn’s surgery using Exclusive enteral Nutrition (OCEaN study)
(Dr Rachel Cooney, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/110 Prophylactic antibiotics in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr David Gillespie, Professor Rakesh Heer
NIHR133492: 1. De-Escalating COPD Long term Antibiotic Macrolide therapy (DECLAMPER)- Pragmatic non infEriority pragmatic non-inferiority Randomised controlled trial with internal pilot and cost-effectiveness analysis
(Professor Anthony De-Soyza, University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Decision: Decline
NIHR134464: Optimising azithromycin prevention treatment in COPD to reduce exacerbations (OPACE)
(Professor Ian Wilkinson, University of Cambridge)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/134 Psychological intervention for treatment resistant generalised anxiety disorder in older adults
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Angela Hassiotis, Professor Catherine Hewitt, Professor Greta Rait
NIHR134141: A randomised CONtrolled trial of Tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for older people with treatment resistant Generalised Anxiety Disorder (CONTACT-GAD)
(Dr Rebecca Gould, University College London)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/132 Sexual health promotion in people with severe mental illness
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Professor Catherine Hewitt, Professor Greta Rait, Professor Jane Nixon, Professor Joy Adamson
NIHR133865: MoreRESPECT: A Randomised controlled trial of a sexual health promotion intervention for people with severe mental illness delivered in community mental health settings
(Professor Elizabeth Hughes, Edinburgh Napier University)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/74 Antidepressants for post-stroke emotionalism
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr Christopher Sutton, Ms Debby Lennard, Professor Jane Nixon, Professor Nefyn Williams, Professor Rebecca Reynolds
NIHR133015: A multi-centre, international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to establish the effect(s) of sertraline (50 mg once daily) in people with post-stroke emotionalism
(Professor Niall Broomfield, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia)
Decision: Decline Return to POC
20/126 Imaging in paediatric osteomyelitis
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr Rui Duarte, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Marian Knight, Professor Nefyn Williams, Ms Pollyanna Hardy
Joined meeting: Andrew Shennan
NIHR134125: Imaging in Paediatric Osteomyelitis (the PICBONE study): a multi-centre cohort study to understand the role of MRI and ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute haematogenous osteomyelitis in children.
(Mr Tim Theologis, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
NIHR134270: INFORM study – INvestigation oF Osteomyelitis Radiology Management
(Associate Professor Owen Arthurs, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Decline
20/129 Routine measurement of gastric residual volume in neonatal critical care
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr David Gillespie, Dr Lyvonne Tume, Dr Rui Duarte, Ms Debby Lennard, Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Marian Knight
NIHR134216: The neoGASTRIC trial: Avoiding routine gastric residual volume measurement in neonatal critical care, a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial
(Dr Chris Gale, Imperial College London)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/77 Treatment of recurrent patella dislocation
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr Christopher Sutton, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Chris Rogers, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Marian Knight, Professor Monica Busse
NIHR134398: REcurrent Patellar dislocation: Personalised therapy or OpeRative Treatment? (REPPORT)
(Associate Professor Andrew Metcalfe, University of Warwick)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/131 Corticosteroid induction regimens for children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Dr David Gillespie, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Nefyn Williams
Joined meeting: Rebecca Reynolds
NIHR134350: Steroid TreAtment TRial in JIA (STAR-JIA): a randomised trial to compare effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of oral versus intravenous corticosteroid induction regimens for children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
(Dr Clare Pain, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Resubmission
20/128 Routine measurement of gastric residual volume in paediatric critical care
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Dr Lyvonne Tume, Dr Rui Duarte, Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Marian Knight
NIHR133835: A randomised controlled trial of no routine gastric residual monitoring to guide enteral feeding in paediatric intensive care units: the GASTRIC-PICU trial
(Dr Lyvonne Tume, University of Salford)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
Day 2 - Wednesday 15th September 2021
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Present members
Professor Marian Knight (Chair)
Professor Catherine Hewitt (Deputy Chair)
Professor Andrew Farmer (Programme Director)
Professor Joy Adamson
Mr Roshan Bootun
Professor Monica Busse
Mr Paul Charlton (Public Committee Member)
Dr Rui Duarte
Dr Emilio Fernandez-Egea
Dr David Gillespie
Professor Angela Hassiotis
Mr Rakesh Heer
Ms Debby Lennard (Public Committee Member)
Professor Nick Maskell
Professor Jane Nixon
Professor Daniel Perry
Dr Greta Rait
Professor Rebecca Reynolds
Professor Chris Rogers
Professor Jonathan Ross
Professor Andrew Shennan
Professor Sobha Sivaprasad
Dr Beth Stuart
Dr Chris Sutton
Associate Professor Lyvonne Tume
Professor Galina Velikova
Professor Nefyn Williams
NETSCC, HTA Secretariat
Dr Jason Horsely (Consultant Advisor)
Steph Garfield-Birkbeck (Head of the HTA Programme)
Karen Williams (Senior Research Manager)
Kathy Tier (Research Manager)
Laura Bradley (Research Manager)
Hebe Sims (Assistant Research Manager)
Apologies
Dr Rui Duarte – from 13.15
Professor Nick Maskell – from 13:45
Associate Professor Antonieta Medina-Lara
Dr Pollyanna Hardy
Professor Sobha Sivaprasad - until 10:00
Observers
Ms Emma Small (HCRW)
Mr Trevor Jones (Public Committee Member)
Quoracy Information
Voting members: 28 Quorum = 19
Voting members present on Day 2: 26 (93%)
Stage 1 applications
21/19 Low energy contact X-ray brachytherapy (Papillon technique) or local excision for people with early stage rectal cancer where major surgery is not planned
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Dr David Gillespie, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Galina Velikova, Professor Monica Busse, Professor Nefyn Williams
NIHR135159: EXcision versus Papillion as a REctal Saving Strategy (EXPRESS)
(Honorary Professor Arthur Sun Myint, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Decline Return to POC
21/20 Lipid-modifying therapy in children with familial hypercholesterolaemia
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Dr Claire Rothery, Professor Catherine Hewitt, Professor Jonathan Ross
NIHR134993: Lipid-modifying therapy in children with familial hypercholesterolemia
(Professor Nadeem Qureshi, The University of Nottingham)
Decision: Shortlist
21/28 Maintenance therapy for lichen sclerosus
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Mr Trevor Jones, Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Jonathan Ross, Professor Marian Knight
NIHR135121: Proactive versus reactive therapy for the prevention of lichen sclerosus exacerbation and progression of disease – a pragmatic, parallel group randomised controlled trial with embedded economic evaluation and process evaluation.
(Dr Rosalind Simpson, The University of Nottingham)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135205: Clinical and cost effectiveness of lichen sclerosus management with proactive versus reactive topical corticosteroids (CLIMATES): A phase III multicentre study
(Dr Jason Yap, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
21/30 Non-conservative treatments for major low anterior resection syndrome (LARS)
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Ms Debby Lennard, Professor Galina Velikova, Professor Jane Nixon
NIHR134937: Pathway Of Low Anterior Resection syndrome relief after Surgery (POLARiS) trial
(Mrs Julie Cornish, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board)
Decision: Shortlist
21/21 Percutaneous thermal ablation of benign thyroid nodules
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Greta Rait, Professor Jonathan Ross, Professor Marian Knight
Sobha Sivaprasad arrived at meeting
NIHR134998: Thermal Ablation versus Thyroid Surgery for benign thyroid Nodules (TASNO trial)
(Dr Steve Bandula, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135261: peRcutaneous thermal ABLation of Benign Intrathyroidal Tumours
(Dr Neil Sharma, University of Birmingham)
Decision: Shortlist
21/22 Stretching programme for ambulant children with cerebral palsy
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Marian Knight, Professor Nefyn Williams
NIHR135131: Clinical effectiveness of a child-specific dynamic stretching exercise programme, compared to usual care, for ambulant children with spastic cerebral palsy - the SPELL trial.
(Mr Tim Theologis, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
21/23 Strengthening programme for ambulant adolescents with cerebral palsy
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Dr Rui Duarte, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Jane Nixon, Professor Marian Knight, Professor Nefyn Williams
NIHR135099: PHENOMENAL - Personalised Home-based Exercise interventions to improve strength and fuNctional OutcoMEs in ambulant adolescents with cerebrAl palsy: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial with economic evaluation
(Professor Lee Ingle, University of Hull)
Decision: Decline
NIHR135150: Clinical effectiveness of an adolescent-specific strengthening programme, compared to usual care, for ambulant adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy - the ROBUST trial
(Associate Professor Sally Hopewell, University of Oxford)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135212: FitSkills Strength: Effectiveness of a community-based, peer-mentored strengthening programme for adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy
(Dr Claire Kerr, The Queen's University of Belfast)
Decision: Decline
21/25 Use of biologic drugs around the time of orthopaedic surgery
Chair: Nick Maskell
Conflicts: Dr Antonieta Medina-Lara, Dr Christopher Sutton, Dr Claire Rothery, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Catherine Hewitt, Professor Galina Velikova, Professor Greta Rait, Professor Jane Nixon, Professor Jonathan Ross, Professor Joy Adamson, Professor Marian Knight
NIHR134800: SCOOBY DOO (Stoppage or COntinuation Of Biologic therapY During Orthopaedic Operations)
(Professor Hemant Pandit, University of Leeds)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135129: Targeted tHErApies prior To oRthopaEdic Surgery: the THEATRE Study
(Professor Maya Buch, The University of Manchester)
Decision: Decline
NIHR135281: A randomised, multi-centre trial comparing continuation with stopping of biologic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing orthopaedic surgery
(Mr Geraint Thomas, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
21/27 Endoscopic versus open surgery for the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome
Chair: Greta Rait
Conflicts: Dr Christopher Sutton, Dr David Gillespie, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Catherine Hewitt, Professor Chris Rogers, Professor Galina Velikova, Professor Jane Nixon, Professor Joy Adamson, Professor Marian Knight, Professor Nick Maskell, Professor Rakesh Heer
NIHR135252: The OREO trial: A Randomised Trial of Open Release versus EndOscopic Release for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
(Mr Lionel Bainbridge, Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135260: Prospective randomised controlled trial comparing endoscopic decompression of the ulnar nerve at the cubital tunnel with open surgery. (The UNDER Study: Ulnar Nerve Decompression Endoscopic Randomisation Study)
(Mr Dominic Power, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
21/18 Lumbar fusion for low back pain
Chair: Professor Catherine Hewitt
Conflicts: Associate Professor Beth Stuart, Dr Christopher Sutton, Dr Rui Duarte, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Chris Rogers, Professor Daniel Perry, Professor Marian Knight
NIHR134859: The clinical and cost-effectiveness of lumbar fusion surgery for patients with persistent, severe low back pain: Short: FusiOn veRsus bEst coNServatIve Care (the FORENSIC trial)
(Professor David Beard, University of Oxford, NDORMS)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135284: A randomised, international multi-centre trial comparing lumbar fusion with best care multidisciplinary rehabilitation in the management of non-specific low back pain in adults.
Back COMparison of Fusion & bEst Rehabilitation Treatments (Back COMFERT)
(Mr Birender Balain, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
21/29 Maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Dr Christopher Sutton, Dr David Gillespie, Dr Emilio Fernandez-Egea, Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Andrew Shennan
Left Meeting: Nick Maskell
NIHR135087: Long-term Maintenance Treatment With Lithium, Quetiapine Or The Combination For People With Bipolar Disorder (the LQC Study)
(Professor Allan Young, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London)
Decision: Decline Return to POC
21/24 Intrauterine insemination versus in vitro fertilisation for unexplained infertility
Chair: Professor Marian Knight
Conflicts: Dr Christopher Sutton, Ms Pollyanna Hardy, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Galina Velikova, Professor Greta Rait, Professor Rakesh Heer, Professor Rebecca Reynolds, Professor Andrew Shennan
NIHR135258: The UnICORn Trial - UNexplained Infertility: Cost and Outcomes RatioNale
(Dr Jackson Kirkman-Brown, University of Birmingham)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR135140: A randomised controlled trial evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of intrauterine insemination (IUI) versus in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for unexplained infertility (UNI trial)
(Dr Sesh Sunkara, King's College London)
Decision: Shortlist