Value for money tool pilots underway

The NSMC's online tool for assessing the cost-effectiveness of social marketing and behaviour change programmes is nearing completion.

It has been successful piloted with a smoking social marketing project in North West England. Pilots for obesity, breast feeding and alcohol projects are currently in progress. A bowel cancer project pilot is about to begin.

The tool will have two important uses. It will help commissioners plan for proposed social marketing and behaviour change programmes by estimating the likelihood that they will provide value for money. It will also evaluate whether social marketing and behaviour change interventions were value for money on completion.

The tool goes beyond costs to the NHS to include wider societal costs as well. For example, designers of stop smoking programmes will be able to find out the money saved by individuals from stopping smoking, the cost to the local fire service, the extent of gains to employers from reduced employee absences, and so on.

And since it has been developed with NICE and Health England and a consensus on the methodology has been reached, it will be the most credible assessment tool to date.

The tool will be a launched in April. To find out more, contact Rowena.