New Deputy Chair appointed for Health Technology Wales Appraisal Panel
We are pleased to announce the appointment of a Deputy Chair for the Health Technology Wales Appraisal Panel (AP).
Dr Andrew Champion, Assistant Director, Evidence Evaluation and Effectiveness at the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) has been appointed to the role.
HTW recently renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with WHSCC and the two organisations have worked successfully together since 2018 to support the appraisal and adoption of non-medicine health technologies in Wales.
The role of the AP is to produce HTW’s national guidance on non-medicine health and care technologies based on a consideration of the evidence available, within the content of NHS and social care in Wales. The panel also helps to identify topics for appraisal, evaluates the uptake of guidance and facilitates stakeholder engagement.
As an existing member of the AP, Dr Champion already has an in-depth understanding of HTW’s work. He has worked in the NHS for almost 30 years covering a range of research and managerial roles and has a strong interest in evidence-based medicine.
In 2003 he was appointed Manager/Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cancer clinical guideline programme and in 2016 he took up his current role at WHSSC, where he focuses on evidence-based decision making across the organisation.
“We are delighted that he has accepted the position of Deputy Chair and very much look forward to working with him to ensure that the most effective and cost-effective non-medicine health and care technologies are available in Wales.”
Professor Peter Groves, Chair of Health Technology Wales, said: “As Chair of the Appraisal Panel, I am delighted that Andrew has agreed to take on this role and I very much look forward to welcoming him as my Deputy. His appointment will strengthen the robustness of our decision-making group and his expertise as a Specialist Commissioner will support our ambition in ensuring that the needs of the Health and Care sectors in Wales can be met through our appraisal process.”
Dr Andrew Champion said: “I very much look forward to taking on this role and supporting HTW with producing guidance with the potential to solve some of the challenges facing health and social care in Wales. I am passionate about the importance of evidence-based decision making in healthcare and believe there are exciting opportunities ahead to improve access to the best available health and social care technologies.”
Dr Susan Myles, Director of Health Technology Wales, said: “Dr Champion’s extensive experience in the field of evidence-based medicine means he can provide valuable insight to the Appraisal Panel.
