Plans to give ministers more power over the UK drug watchdog risk opening the door to political interference in decisions over new treatments, health economists have warned.The plans, subject to consultation,1 would give ministers the power to change the cost-effectiveness threshold used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in deciding whether to approve new drugs for the NHS.The revamped policy is designed to align approvals of new treatments with government priorities and “industrial policy objectives.”Proposed changes to the current legislative framework would also mean NICE no longer needing to consult on changes to the methods it uses in the development of its advice and recommendations when such changes are put forward by the health secretary.The proposals

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