The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS - the HTA Programme is its biggest research programme and assesses around 600 research funding applications every year.
The advisory panels have two roles: First to support the identification and development of potential research questions to be put to the research community as calls for research in the programme’s commissioned workstream. Second, to evaluate and prioritise first stage research applications to the HTA’s researcher led work stream based on the importance of research questions to the NHS and whether a proposed study would make a significant difference to practice.
Kamal Mahtani is a GP and deputy director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. He has been the deputy chair of the panel since 2015 and will take over from Professor Clare Wilkinson in early 2018.
Commenting on the appointment, Kamal said “There are currently many challenges facing those working in and served by NHS primary care. My focus will be to support the NIHR HTA programme in identifying and funding research that seeks to meet some of these challenges.”