New EQ-5D-5L value set for the UK to support more accurate, patient-centered HTA decision-making

A new EQ-5D-5L value set for the UK has been published in Value in Health, reflecting current population preferences for health-related quality of life. The update is expected to enhance QALY calculations and inform future NICE appraisals, marking an important step in modernizing the inputs used in HTA.

The publication of a new UK value set for the EQ-5D-5L marks a significant development for health technology assessment (HTA) and outcomes research, with implications for how health-related quality of life is measured and incorporated into decision-making. Published in Value in Health on March 24, 2026, the updated value set reflects contemporary societal preferences and is expected to inform future submissions to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), as outlined in earlier implementation plans.

The need for an updated valuation has been widely recognized across the health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) community. Changes in demographics, healthcare delivery, and public perceptions of health and wellbeing have highlighted the limitations of older valuation data. The introduction of a UK-specific EQ-5D-5L value set therefore represents a move toward more contemporary and relevant measurement of health outcomes.

The valuation study underpinning the new value set elicited preferences from the UK general population to derive utility weights for EQ-5D-5L health states, which are used to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The new set enables direct valuation of EQ-5D-5L data, replacing reliance on the EQ-5D-3L value set developed by Paul Dolan in 1997 using data collected in the early 1990s.

The EQ-5D-5L instrument captures health across five domains: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression, each with five levels of severity (no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems and extreme problems). Compared with the earlier three-level version, the 5L instrument offers greater sensitivity in capturing variations in health status. Reflecting this increased granularity, the new value set suggests a greater relative impact of anxiety/depression and usual activities on overall utility.

Introduced in 2009, the EQ-5D-5L descriptive system was designed to improve sensitivity and reduce ceiling effects compared with the earlier 3L version. While widely adopted in clinical studies, its use in HTA has been constrained in the UK, where NICE has continued to recommend the 3L value set alongside mapping approaches following concerns around earlier 5L valuations. The publication of a new UK-specific value set addresses these limitations and provides an updated basis for evaluation.

The new value set is based on data collected between 2022 and 2023 from a representative sample of ~1200 adults across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Interviews were conducted primarily via videoconference, supported by rigorous and independently assessed data quality checks. Oversight was provided by a multi-stakeholder Steering Group comprising academic experts alongside representatives from the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, NICE, and the EuroQol Group, supporting both methodological robustness and policy relevance.

Alongside the main publication, accompanying analyses suggest that transitioning from the 3L to the 5L value set is likely to affect cost-effectiveness estimates. The 5L value set generally produces higher health state values within a narrower range, which may influence the relative cost effectiveness of different types of interventions. Technologies that extend life may appear more cost effective, while those primarily improving quality of life may be comparatively less favored. These shifts are expected to be an important consideration for HTA bodies as the new value set is implemented.

From a policy perspective, NICE has indicated that the new value set will be incorporated into its methods framework following consultation and further review. NICE is expected to launch a 16-week consultation on how the value set should be applied, including its use in ongoing appraisals and the definition of transition timelines. Implementation will follow NICE’s modular methods update process, after which the value set will be incorporated into its methods manual.

As Sophie Cooper, Senior Scientific Adviser at NICE, noted, the update “will not replace the overall system NICE uses to assess treatments… it simply provides better data to feed into that system,” while enabling calculations to better reflect “what matters to people today.”