SMC response to COVID-19

To prioritise and support the capacity of health and social care services, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) have taken the decision to adapt our normal ways of working.

Please see SMC home page for most recent information on SMC remobilisation.

These changes are based on what an increasingly pressurised health and social care system will benefit most from. This action is supported by the Scottish Government.

We are in an unprecedented situation requiring exceptional measures and it is vital SMC supports NHSScotland in maintaining essential work. Consequently, meetings of our SMC and New Drugs Committees (NDC), have been suspended until further notice. Taking this step will release our committee members and staff to support work aligned with COVID-19 resilience. A core team will continue to assess the new medicine submissions in the system and work on urgent activities around COVID-19 as required. We cannot accept new submissions or resubmissions at the current time.

SMC has considered the submissions that would have been evaluated during this period and is satisfied that other medicines are available for the relevant patient groups. NHS boards have local arrangements in place for to access to medicines during the pandemic.

Meetings will resume when the co-ordinated national phased response to COVID-19 permits. We are currently exploring how best to progress prompt decision-making for submissions in the system and will provide further updates in due course.

Please contact our team at hcis.smcsecretariat@nhs.net if you have any queries.

Advice on COVID-19 for healthcare professionals and members of the public can be accessed on the NHS Inform website.

Advice for healthcare professionals

Advice for the public

Resources for NHSScotland can be accessed on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland website.