Published: October 2016

Last updated: September 2025

Single Technology Appraisal (UK NICE)

A single technology appraisal (STA) undertaken by UK NICE is where a (new) technology is compared with standard of care for the indication of interest. It is possible that more than one comparator intervention is considered, in which case the new technology is assessed against each relevant comparator in turn (but the comparators are not assessed against each other). It is also possible that the indication is broken down to distinct subpopulations if the new technology may be used at different places in the care pathway and/or where comparator interventions differ for these subpopulations. For new pharmaceuticals at the time of marketing authorisation, STAs are the most common form of appraisal. Components of an STA process include scoping, submission, evidence assessment, appraisal meetings, (final) appraisal determination and communication, with provision for an appeal should that be requested by the technology sponsor. Assessment of evidence submissions is undertaken by an independent academic group (extenal assessment group – EAG) reviewing a formal submission made by the technology sponsor, and views are sought from independent clinical experts and patients’ representatives. The process from scoping to final determination typically takes 48 weeks. Detailed guidance on the STA process is available in the NICE health technology evaluations manual.

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