Lay member on the Technology Appraisal Committee in Brighton

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is looking for people with lived experience who are interested in how medicines and technologies are approved for use in the NHS. Below you will find all the information you need as well as in the attached role description and person specification.

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 31 May 2026

Time commitment: 3 Years

What does the role involve?

• Attending committee meetings and taking part in discussions to shape the guidance.
• Reading committee papers.
• Keeping the committee’s work confidential.

What am I expected to do?

• Ensure the views, experiences and interests of patients or people who use health and social care services are considered by the committee.
• Identify areas of concern to people using NHS, public health or social care services.
• Review topic information and the draft guidance from a patient, service user, carer or community perspective.
• Ensure the guidance considers people from different backgrounds.

What support will I get?

A member of the people and communities team will be available throughout your time with us, to offer help and support. You will be offered training and guidance to ensure you feel confident on the committee, as well as regular chats with your contact. If you have any special requirements, for example access or travel needs, we can discuss this with you and make adjustments where needed.

What’s in it for me?

You will be helping to make national and local health and social care services work better for patients, people who use services, carers or the public. Previous lay members have said they found their confidence improved, as well as developing skills like public speaking and critical thinking. Being a member of a NICE committee shows you are an expert by experience and that you can work in a team, as an equal contributor to the committee alongside healthcare and other professionals.

Expenses and benefits:

You will receive payment for each committee meeting you attend which is a recognition of the time spent reading, preparing, and corresponding before and after meetings, with other expenses payable depending on your situation:

• £300 for scheduled meetings of more than 4 hours (full day)
• £150 for scheduled meetings up to and including 4 hours (half day)

For more information about the attendance fee, what you can claim for, and how the fee could affect benefit payments, read our guides: Non-staff reimbursement policy, Lay member payments and expenses.

Who we're looking for:

We’re looking for people with a range of lived experience from across the health sector. You will also have an interest in how medicines are assessed and made available for use in the NHS and how this might affect patient populations and their carers and families through personal experience you have of treatment and care provided for you by the NHS as a relative or unpaid carer of someone who has used relevant health services, as an advocate, volunteer, or officer of a relevant voluntary organisation or support group. We would also be interested to hear what experience you have of either how medicines are approved in the NHS or how the NHS goes about implementing NICE's recommendations. This may be through any work you have been involved in around service design or monitoring in either hospitals, GP surgeries or via local groups such as HealthWatch; please note this experience is not essential.

You will also have:

• Good communication and team-working skills.
• The ability to listen and take part in constructive debate, while being respectful of other people’s views.
• Knowledge of the experiences of people who face disadvantage and discrimination which gives you the ability to champion a range of different perspectives.