Programme Advisory Group

Programme Advisory Group

The Programme Advisory Group, representing key stakeholders in the Irish healthcare system, advises and assists the Authority in a range of matters. The Group advises on strategy development as well as on processes and procedures for conduct of health technology assessments (HTA).  The Group supports and facilitates consultation and information exchange between the Authority and key stakeholders and is supportive of the overall development of HTA in Ireland.

Terms of reference:

• Advise and support the Authority in the development of a framework for the referral of proposed health technology assessments (HTAs), including HTAs of technologies at their early stage of development, technologies at the point of adoption within the Healthcare system and established technologies with a view to disinvestment.
• Advise and support the Authority in the development of a framework for the initial assessment of these requests by the Authority
• Advise and support the Authority in the development of prioritisation criteria for HTA topic selection.
• Advise and support the Authority in its HTA topic selection procedures.
• Advise and support the Authority in the development of a framework for the conduct of Health Technology Assessment.
• Support and facilitate consultation and information exchange between the Authority and key stakeholders.
• Promote the overall development of HTA in Ireland in order to enable the building of capacity and capability in the system and to provide maximum support of the process and its conclusions.
• Contribute to the Authority’s development of its approach to HTA by participating in an evaluation of the process as required.
• Promote the undertaking of relevant HTA by third parties using guidelines produced by the Authority.

Group membership

• Mr Bryan Barry, Board Member of Health Information and Quality Authority – Chairperson
• Dr Michael Barry, Director, National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics
• Mr Aidan Clancy, Patient Safety and Quality Unit, Department of Health and Children
• Dr Eibhlin Connolly, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Children
• Prof Mike Drummond, Professor of Health Economics,University of York
• Ms Naomi Fitzgibbon, Cancer Information Service Manager, Irish Cancer Society
• Mr Shaun Flanagan, Chief Pharmacist, Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit, Health Service Executive
• Mr Martin Flattery, Head of Research and Planning, Health Technology Assessment Directorate,Health Information and Quality Authority
• Mr Bryan Harty, Chief Executive, Blackrock Clinic. Nominated by the Independent Hospitals Association of Ireland
• Dr Patricia Harrington, Head of Assessment, Health Technology Assessment Directorate, Health Information and Quality Authority
• Mr Nicholas Jermyn, Chief Executive, St Vincents Hospitals Group nominated by Dublin Hospitals Group – Risk Management Forum
• Ms Sandra Lawrence, Public Affairs and Health Policy Manager, Stryker (UK) Limited, nominated by the Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA)
• Dr Brian Maurer, Consultant Cardiologist, nominated by the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF)
• Ms Eibhlin Mulroe, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Platform for Patients' Organisations, Science and Industry (IPPOSI)
• Mr Brian Murphy, Director of Commercial Affairs, Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA)
• Prof Ciaran O’Neill, Professor of Health Technology Assessment, National University of Ireland, Galway
• Mr Richard Phillips, Medtronic Limited, nominated by Irish Medical Surgical Trade Association (IMSTA)
• Dr Anne Marie Ryan, Chief Education Officer, An Bord Altranais
• Dr Mairin Ryan, Director of Health Technology Assessment, Health Information and Quality Authority
• Dr Patrick Salmon, Irish Medicines Board
• Dr Linda Sharp, Epidemiologist, National Cancer Registry of Ireland
• Dr Lesley Tilson, Chief Pharmacist, National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics
• Mr Derek Young, Head of the Centre for Innovation in Surgical Technology,  Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland