Recommendation statements by the Rapid Review Panel

The following recommendations may be made:

1. Basic research and development, validation and recent in use evaluations have shown benefits that should be available to NHS bodies to include as appropriate in their cleaning, hygiene or infection control protocols.

2. Basic research and development has been completed and the product may have potential value; in use evaluations/trials are now needed in an NHS clinical setting.

3. A potentially useful new concept but insufficiently validated; more research and development is required before it is ready for evaluation in practice.

4a.  Not a significant improvement on equipment/materials/products already available which claim to contribute to reducing health care associated infection; no further consideration needed.

4b.  Unlikely to contribute to the reduction of health care associated infection; no further consideration needed.

5. Insufficient clarity/evidence presented to enable full review of the product.

6. An already well established product that does not merit further consideration by the Panel.

7. The product is not sufficiently related to infection control procedures to merit consideration by the Panel.

Those products falling into the first recommendation will be considered for fast tracking into the future workplans of the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Whenever further work is recommended, the panel may indicate the general scope and scale of the research and development or in-use evaluation required but it will not produce detailed protocols.

The panel will normally consider written submissions but reserves the right to seek presentations by and discussion with manufacturers/proposers.

Products to be assessed will normally be expected to satisfy the following criteria before being referred to the panel:

i) to be new/innovative with a clear potential to reduce hospital acquired infection

ii) composition of the compound (if applicable) or appropriate information provided by the
   manufacturer to ensure risk and safety assessments may be made

iii) the in vitro activity of the product should be known

iv) clinical data to support the application should be provided

v) safety issues from the use of the product should be assessed

vi) medicinal or therapeutic products will not be considered

Last reviewed: 11 May 2010