Meeting
HTA Funding Committee (General)
Day 1 - Tuesday 16th March 2021
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Present members
Professor Rupert Pearse (Deputy Chair)
Professor Andrew Farmer (Programme Director/Acting Chair)
Dr Ashley Agus
Professor Hashim Ahmed
Professor Julie Brittenden
Professor Matthew Costa
Dr Fay Crawford
Professor Jo Dumville
Professor Nick Francis
Professor Caroline Free
Professor Simon Gates
Professor Kerenza Hood
Professor Nick James
Professor Asma Khalil
Professor Steff Lewis
Dr Stephanie MacNeill
Mr Matthew Moore (PPI representative)
Professor Mark Peters
Professor Craig Ramsay
Mrs Amanda Roberts (PPI representative)
Professor Christine Roffe
Dr Whitney Scott
Dr Marc Serfaty
Dr Martin Thomas
Associate Professor Jo Thompson-Coon
Dr Sara Twaddle
Professor Tammi Walker
NETSCC, HTA Secretariat
Dr Simon Fraser (Consultant Advisor).
Steph Garfield-Birkbeck (Head of the HTA Programme)
Karen Williams (Senior Research Manager)
Cristina Lujan Barroso (Research manager)
Louisa Saunders (Assistant Research Manager)
Julie Herring (Administrator)
Apologies
Dr Marta Soares
Professor Julia Brown
Observers
Laura Bradley - new HTA Research manager (NETSCC).
Agnieszka Terry - Research Manager (ID&P NETSCC)
Nikita Belavate - new Administrator (NETSCC)
Quoracy Information
Voting members: 27 Quorum = 18
Voting members present on Day 1: 26 (93%)
Stage 2 Commissioned (ES) proposals shortlisted at November 2020 Committee
20/79: Anti-VEGF drugs compared with laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Craig Ramsay, Professor Jo Dumville, Professor Tammi Walker
NIHR132948: Anti-VEGF drugs compared with laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and economic analysis
(Dr Mark Simmonds, University of York)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
NIHR133058: Anti-VEGF drugs compared with laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy
(Dr Fiona Pearson, University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Decision: Decline
20/78: Pharmacological treatment and prevention of chronic migraine
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Simon Gates
NIHR132803: What is the comparative clinical and cost- effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for adults with chronic migraine?
(Dr Hema Mistry, University of Warwick)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/29: Interventions for fibromyalgia-related sleep problems
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Craig Ramsay, Professor Joanna Thompson-Coon, Professor Kerenza Hood, Professor Simon Gates
NIHR132490: Synthesising the evidence for interventions for fibromyalgia-related sleep problems.
(Dr Beth Fordham, University of Oxford)
Decision: Decline
NIHR132999: What is the evidence for interventions used to manage sleep disturbances in people with fibromyalgia? A comprehensive evidence synthesis to inform clinical practice and future research.
(Dr Miriam Brazzelli, University of Aberdeen)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/81: Perioperative Oxygen Therapy: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Mark Peters, Professor Rupert Pearse, Professor Simon Gates
Left meeting: Professor Hashim Ahmed
NIHR132890: Perioperative oxygen therapy: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
(Professor Andrew Smith, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Decline
NIHR132987: Perioperative Oxygen Therapy: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
(Dr Joyce Yeung, University of Warwick)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
20/80: Endoscopic treatments for obesity
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Simon Gates
NIHR133099: Endoscopic treatments for obesity: Clinical and Cost Effectiveness
(Dr Abd Tahrani, University of Birmingham)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
NIHR133103: Endoscopic treatments for obesity - an evidence synthesis and cost-effectiveness analysis
(Miss Kirstin Carswell, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust)
Decision: Decline
HTA Injuries, accidents and urgent and emergency care themed call Stage 2
19/162: HTA Injuries, accidents and urgent and emergency care themed call (Primary Research)
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Dr Sara Twaddle, Professor Craig Ramsay, Professor Steff Lewis
Arrived meeting: Professor Hashim Ahmed
NIHR132594: Early Vasopressors in Sepsis (EVIS)
(Dr Alasdair Corfield, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Dr Stephanie MacNeill, Professor Hashim Ahmed
NIHR132889: Conservative Management in Traumatic Pneumothoraces in the Emergency Department (CoMiT-ED): A Randomised Controlled Trial
(Associate Professor Edward Carlton, North Bristol NHS Trust)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Dr Simon Fraser, Dr Stephanie MacNeill, Professor Jo Dumville
Left meeting: Professor Kerry Hood
NIHR132968: Aspirin after hospitalisation with Pneumonia to prevent cardiovascular Events randomised Controlled Trial (ASPECT)
(Professor Nick Maskell, University of Bristol)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
HTA Researcher-Led (Primary Research) Stage 2
20/38: HTA Researcher-led call Primary Research
NIHR132317: Dietary Approaches to the Management Of type 2 Diabetes (DIAMOND) cluster randomised trial
(Professor Paul Aveyard, University of Oxford)
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
19/160: HTA Researcher-led call Primary Research
NIHR131850: The clinical and cost-effectiveness of elective primary total knee replacement with PAtellar Resurfacing compared to selective patellar resurfacing. A pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled Trial with blinding (PART)
(Professor Ashley Blom, University of Bristol)
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Dr Stephanie MacNeill, Professor Simon Gates
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
Day 2 - Wednesday 17th March 2021
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Present members
Professor Rupert Pearse (Deputy Chair)
Professor Andrew Farmer (Programme Director/Acting Chair)
Dr Ashley Agus
Professor Hashim Ahmed
Professor Julie Brittenden
Professor Matthew Costa
Dr Fay Crawford
Professor Nick Francis
Professor Caroline Free
Professor Simon Gates
Professor Kerenza Hood
Professor Nick James
Professor Asma Khalil
Professor Steff Lewis
Dr Stephanie MacNeill
Mr Matthew Moore (PPI representative)
Professor Mark Peters
Professor Craig Ramsay
Mrs Amanda Roberts (PPI representative)
Professor Christine Roffe
Dr Whitney Scott
Dr Marc Serfaty
Dr Marta Soares
Dr Martin Thomas
Associate Professor Jo Thompson-Coon
Dr Sara Twaddle
Professor Tammi Walker
NETSCC, HTA Secretariat
Dr Simon Fraser (Consultant Advisor).
Steph Garfield-Birkbeck (Head of the HTA Programme)
Karen Willams (Senior Research Manager)
Cristina Lujan Barroso (Research manager)
Louisa Saunders (Assistant Research Manager)
Julie Herring (Administrator)
Apologies
Professor Julia Brown
Professor Jo Dumville
Observers
Laura Bradley - new HTA Research manager (NETSCC).
Lucy Upshall – Research Manager (PPI & Ext Review NETSCC)
Quoracy Information
Voting members: 27 Quorum = 18
Voting members present on Day 2: 26 (93%)
HTA Broad Brief Stage 2 Proposals
19/130: Bipolar Disorder
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Dr Martin Thomas, Dr Stephanie MacNeill, Mr Matthew Moore, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Christine Roffe, Professor Hashim Ahmed, Dr Marc Serfaty
NIHR132773: Aripiprazole/ sertraline combination: Clinical and cost-effectiveness in comparison with quetiapine for the treatment of bipolar depression. An open label randomised controlled trial. (ASCEnD)
(Dr Stuart Watson, University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Mr Matthew Moore, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Christine Roffe
NIHR131483: Clinical and cost effectiveness of an online integrated bipolar parenting intervention: A randomised controlled trial
(Professor Steven Jones, Lancaster University)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
HTA Broad Brief Stage 2 20/33
20/33: Reducing Overtreatment
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Hashim Ahmed, Professor Nicholas James, Dr Marc Serfaty
NIHR133011: REFINE-Lung (formerly known as CONVOLUTE): A randomised open-label phase III trial of REduced Frequency pembrolizumab ImmuNothErapy for first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) utilising a novel multi-arm frequency-response optimisation design.
(Professor Michael Seckl, Imperial College London)
Decision: Programme Oversight Committee to consider fund with changes
Stage 1 Proposals
20/28: Repair and rehabilitation of hand flexor tendon injury
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Professor Hashim Ahmed, Dr Martin Thomas, Professor Christine Roffe, Dr Marta Soares, Professor Andrew Farmer
Left meeting: Dr Whitney Scott
NIHR133763: A multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing Wide-awake Anaesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) versus General and Regional Anaesthesia for Flexor Tendon Repair (FLEXOR Trial)
(Professor Afshin Mosahebi, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Decline
NIHR133748: Wide-Awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet Surgical technique and early functional Hand Use Rehabilitation Protocol for treatment of finger flexor tendon injuries in adults: a 2x2 factorial randomised trial
The WASHUP Study
(Mr Jason Wong, The University of Manchester)
Decision: Decline
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Dr Marta Soares, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Hashim Ahmed
NIHR133784: A 2 x 2 factorial randomised trial to determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of not repairing flexor digitorum superficialis and a new rehabilitation regime versus usual care for treatment of complete zone II flexor tendon injuries: the FLexor repAir and REhabilitation (FLARE) Trial
(Mr Matthew Gardiner, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Dr Marta Soares, Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Hashim Ahmed
Arrived meeting: Steph Garfield-Birkbeck
NIHR133582: Prospective randomised controlled trial comparing three splints for finger flexor tendon repairs (FIRST study).
(Mrs Emma Bamford, Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
Decision: Shortlist
NSAG ES call 20/140: Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) based tools to triage patients in primary care
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Joanna Thompson-Coon
NIHR133852: COLOFIT - Optimal use of Faecal Immunochemical Testing for patients with symptoms of possible colorectal cancer.
(Professor Colin Rees, University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR133953: Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) based tools to triage patients in primary care
(Ms Megan Dale, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board)
Decision: Decline
HTA Researcher-Led Stage 1
20/89: HTA Researcher-led call Evidence Synthesis
NIHR133834: Palliative treatment of jaundice in people with malignant distal biliary obstruction: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials, network meta-analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis
(Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy, University College London)
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Dr Marc Serfaty
Decision: Decline
20/90: Researcher-led call Primary Research
NIHR133611: Inpatient graduated compression stocking use as an adjunct to extended duration pharmacoprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism prevention – a multi-centre randomised controlled trial
(Professor Alun Davies, Imperial College London)
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Craig Ramsay, Professor Hashim Ahmed, Professor Steff Lewis
Decision: Stage 1 Resubmission
NIHR133581: Furosemide against Bumetanide for the treatment of recently decompensated heart failure
(Dr David Wilson, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust)
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Caroline Free, Professor Rupert Pearse, Professor Simon Gates
Left meeting: Professor Julie Brittenden
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR133719: Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) Trial
(Dr Anna Goodman, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust)
Chair: Professor Rupert Pearse
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Nick Francis, Professor Kerenza Hood
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR133467: The clinical and cost-effectiveness and safety of haematopoietic interventions administered to recovering patients with anaemia following major non-elective surgery: a phase IV, adaptive randomised controlled multicentre study.
(Professor Iain Moppett, The University of Nottingham)
Chair: Dr Simon Fraser
Conflicts: Professor Andrew Farmer, Professor Matthew Costa, Professor Rupert Pearse
Left meeting: Professor Tammi Walker
Decision: Shortlist
NIHR133776: Examining the benefit of graduated compression stockings in the Prevention of vEnous Thromboembolism in low-risk Surgical patients: a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial (PETS Trial)
(Professor Alun Davies, Imperial College London)
Chair: Professor Andrew Farmer
Conflicts: Professor Craig Ramsay, Professor Hashim Ahmed, Professor Steff Lewis
Decision: Shortlist