Medical Technology Group

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The Medical Technology Group (MTG) is a trade organization, working for different companies, patient groups, charities and other trade associations in the pharmaceutical industry. The MTG was launched in 2000 to make medical technologies available to everyone who needs them. The MTG works towards achieving a cutting edge NHS where patients are guaranteed access to effective medical technologies. [1] The MTG does not have any competitors, like they write on their homepage, they are “the only UK coalition of industry groups and patient charities working together to improve patient access to effective medical technologies”. [2]


AdvaMed, a members of the MTG, writes on their homepage that, “the Medical Technology Group represents drug and device manufacturers and trade associations on all aspects of federal and state regulation of medical technology, including the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration, Health Care Financing Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Trade Commission, and State Medicaid Agencies”. [3]

Economy

Many, including The MTG, believe that that the uptake of medical technologies is not as good as it should be in the UK. The UK medical technology sector in 2010 consists of 3034 companies generating a turnover of £13.1bn and employing 55 000 individuals. Barbara Harpham, Medical Technology Group chairman and director of Heart Research UK claims that, UK lag behind many other European countries, with problems like hospitals denying patients NICE-approved technologies because they lack the facilities or staff to support their use. [4] Norman Lamb MP, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, agree that it should be more focus on medical technology. He says that, “adoption of medical technologies is often both cost effective and in the patient’s interest. Up until now, the NHS has been slow to recognise the value of technology. This has to change if we are to maximise the effective use of resources for the benefit of patients”. [5]


“The global medical technology market is estimated to be worth £150-170bn and the proportion of healthcare expenditure spent on medical technology is increasing. The USA is the largest market worth over £70bn and has a strong supply base with the majority of world’s largest medical technology companies originating in the country”. [6] “The UK spends just 4.5% of its healthcare budget on technology, compared with a European average of 6.3%. This leads to British patients missing out, for example life saving pacemakers are implanted in Germany at twice the UK rate”. [7]

Medical Technology

AdvaMed claims that medical technology is used to diagnose, monitor or treat every disease or condition that affects humans. They write that these innovative technologies are improving the quality of health care delivered and patient outcomes through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and reductions in hospital stays and rehabilitation times. [8] Barbara Harpham says that, “slashing budgets is counterproductive as modern technologies help thousands of people stay in work and out of hospital” [9] The global medical publisher, BMJ Group writes that, “medical technologies can improve clinical outcomes and experiences of patients and support the wellbeing and personal development of individuals. They can help to achieve savings for the NHS and other areas of public spending in a tight budgetary climate, by improving rehabilitation and independence, supporting care closer to home, and reducing planned and emergency hospital admissions”. [10]


The Medical Technology Group have worked to improve patient access to effective medical technologies, such as Computer Navigated Orthopaedic Surgery, Spinal Cord Stimulator, heart blankets [11] and insulin pumps. [12] None of the products they have promoted have failed. The products they introduce for patients in the UK have been carefully tested, before the Medical Technology Group distributes information about them. As a result, none of their products can be said to have failed.


Heart blankets is an example of a product the Medical Technology Group have promoted on their websites and in other medias. Scientists at Leeds University are at a crucial stage in the development of an innovative artificial heart muscle that helps the heart to beat, called heart blankets. “The technology, made of a web of special material positioned around the heart, has sensors that recognise when the heart wants to beat, triggering a series of miniature motors to make the web contract, helping the heart push blood around the body”. [13]. Barbara Harpham claims that this is an amazing new technology that could benefit thousands and save a massive amount of money for the NHS. She says that it’s great that it is being developed in the UK and funded by a UK charity, and that this is a product that can benefit many patients and their families. [14]


MTG members

AdvaMed, Abbot Medical Optics, AntiCoagulation Europe, ARMA, Arrhythmia Alliance, Arthritis Care, Atrial Fibrillation Association, Association of British Healthcare Industries, BD, Bladder and Bowel Foundation, Boston Scientific, British Cardiac Patients’ Association, Cardiomyopathy Association, Circulation Foundation, ConvaTec, CR Bard, Dexcom, Eucomed, FABLE, FEmISA, Heart Research UK, ICD Group, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia Info and Support, International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, INPUT, Johnson & Johnson, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Lindsay Leg Club Foundation, Medtronic, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, The Patients Association, Patient Information Forum, Pelvic Pain Support Network, Roche Diagnostics, SADS UK, St Jude Medical, STARS, Stryker, Transplant Support Network, Zimmer[15]

It also includes the following trade associations (in 2010): Association of British Healthcare Industries, AdvaMed, Eucomed as well as individual medical technology companies.[16]

What the MTG wants

The MTG believes that:
1. Medical Technology gives value for money to the NHS, patients and taxpayers.
2. Uptake of medical technology in the UK is not as good as it should be.
3. People need more information about medical technologies to help unlock their value.[17]

It therefore wants:

  • More information for patients on what technologies are available and appropriate for them, to enable shared decision‐making.
  • Training/guidance for clinicians on the choices of medical technology available and how to use them.
  • Dissemination of guidance and best practice (location of centres of excellence) that explains the patient and cost benefits of appropriate use of medical technology to those commissioning services (i.e medical technology interventions included within NICE quality standards).
  • Involvement of patients in commissioning decisions/oversight.
  • Top‐down systems that incentivise quality and cost effectiveness rather than short-term cost reduction. [18]

Contacts

MTG lists its PR and lobbying company Weber Shandwick as the Group's secretariat and contact point.

Care of /Weber Shandwick
Fox Court
14 Gray’s Inn Road
London, WC1X 8WS

Use this mail, mail@mtg.org.uk, if you want to contact the MTG secretariat. [19]

References

  1. ↑ ABHI Medical Technology Group, accessed Feb 2011
  2. ↑ MTG Competitors, accessed 11.02.2011
  3. ↑ AdvaMed Associate Members, accessed 02.03.2011
  4. ↑ Nursing Times NHS 'must boost use of technology' or risk falling behind 25.11.2009, accessed 09.04.2011
  5. ↑ Scottish Healthcare Medical Technology Group Warns Against ‘Slow-Tech’ NHS 25.11.2009, accessed 04.042011
  6. ↑ Department for Business, Innovation & Skills [http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/s/10-p90-strength-and-opportunity-bioscience-and-health-technology-sectors.pdf Strength and Opportunity] Dec 2010, accessed 28.03.2011
  7. ↑ MTG MTG Policy Statements, accessed 11.02.2011
  8. ↑ AdvaMed What is Medical Technology?, 14.09.2004, accessed 06.04.2011
  9. ↑ Scottish Healthcare NHS 'must boost use of technology, 25.11.2009, accessed 09.04.2011
  10. ↑ BMJ Group UK must increase uptake of medical technology to close gap with Europe 03.02.2011, accessed 03.04.2011
  11. ↑ MTG Key Facts accessed 20.03.2011
  12. ↑ Weber Shandwick Medical Technology Group, 2009 End of year review and forward look accessed 02.04.2011
  13. ↑ Docstoc Key Facts about Heart Blankets Pioneering treatment for heart 2008, accessed 14.04.2011
  14. ↑ MTG Key Facts about Heart Blankets 2008, accessed 20.03.2011
  15. ↑ MTG website Members, accessed Feb 2011
  16. ↑ MTG website Members, accessed Nov 2010
  17. ↑ Achieving QIPP through improved use of technology in the NHS [1], accessed Feb 2011
  18. ↑ Achieving QIPP through improved use of technology in the NHS, accessed Feb 2011
  19. ↑ MTG website MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, accessed Feb 2011
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