Industry stuck in HTA limbo

Don't expect HTA reforms to arrive in a hurry, with a Senate Estimates hearing told yesterday there were several more hoops to be jumped through before the Minister delivers on promised change.

While the HTA Review delivered its final report almost a month ago it had "only just" made it to Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler because the authors had asked that it be "professionally edited" to alleviate concerns about consistency in style and content.

That work has just been completed but Health Department officials said the Minister is now obliged to consult with "a number of bodies" including both the PBAC and MSAC. Once that process is complete it will go back to the Minister who will then decide "when and how to make the review public".