UK Guidelines
NICE - National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
NICE stands for The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and is responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health
It is an independent organisation. It was set up in 1999 to evaluate medications, treatments and procedures and decide whether they should be available on the NHS in England and Wales. It is important to remember that Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate organisations to make these decisions.
Read more about NICE
NICE issues correction for anticoagulant and antidepressant drug interaction recommendations
Specifically, a correction was made to the table of drug interactions in Appendix 16, page 366. For conditions requiring anticoagulation, mirtazapine has been moved from the ‘Antidepressants to avoid or use with caution’ column to the ‘Antidepressants recommended’ column.
NICE eNewsletter
Keep updated on guidance in development.
NICE NEWS UPDATES
May 2012
Opportunities to join a NICE guideline development group
The Patient and Public Involvement Programme (PPIP) at NICE and the National Clinical Guideline Centre will be looking for applications from patients and carers to join the guideline development group which will update the NICE clinical guideline on atrial fibrillation.
Being on a guideline development group involves meetings about every 4-6 weeks over a period of about 18 months, and the whole process takes about 24 months. The work includes email correspondence and reading between meetings. There is a payment for attendance at meetings, and all reasonable expenses are paid. Applications can be made between 2-31 May on the forms provided on the NICE website. Hard copies can also be made available.
All applications should be returned by 1st June 2012.
For more on the opportunity and to apply click here
March 2012
Single Technology Appraisal: Rivaroxaban for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation
Single Technology Appraisal: Dabigatran etexilate for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation
Become a patient/carer member of the Hypertension Topic Expert Group (TEG)
The Patient and Public Involvement Programme and the Quality Systems team are looking for applications from patients and carers to sit on the group developing a quality standard on Hypertension. The group will also develop measures or indicators for potential inclusion within the Commissioning Outcomes Framework (COF) and the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). Quality standards and the COF and QOF are important tools for improving health care.To join click here
February 2012
NICE Clinical Guideline Manual Consultation - March 2012
NICE will be carrying out a minor update to the guidelines manual, and notification will be posted on the Institute's website for a 10-week consultation period, commencing early March 2012.The manual explains how NICE develops clinical guidelines and provides advice on the technical aspects of guideline development.To view the current guidelines, click here
To view the NICE website, click here
January 2012
DECIDE Survey on public awareness of NICE clinical guidelines and their implementation
Executive Summary
Asking, are NICE guidelines of help? Do patients access them, act upon a guideline or receive improved patient care as a result. This executive summary considers the responses.
Technology Appraisals Advisory Committee Meeting
Apixaban for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
20th November 2012
Please note, people who come to watch a Committee meeting are there only as observers. As a public observer, you will be able to listen to the business of the meeting, except where confidential information is being discussed.
However, public observers will not:
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be able to participate in the committee's discussions
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be able to ask questions
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take part in voting
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or put your views to the members of the committee.
NICE Consultation document for: Rivaroxaban for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation published, read Appraisal Committee Decision and send your comments to NICE.
Dabigatran etexilate for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation
NICE has received one appeal against the Final Appraisal Determination on the above technology. The appeal panel will convene on 7 February 2012 to hear oral representations from the appellants.
Members of the public, including consultees and commentators for this appraisal, and the press, may request to attend the hearing. The number of places for observers is constrained by the venue, and priority will be given to members of the public who are not employed by the appellant.
Consultation Notification from NICE:
NICE has begun the consultation process for the potential new indicators for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
The Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) is a voluntary incentive scheme for GP practices in the UK, rewarding them for how well they care for patients. The QOF contains groups of indicators, against which GP practices score points according to their level of achievement. The QOF gives an indication of the overall achievement of a GP practice through a points system. For further information please see this webpage: http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/qof/qof.jsp
The consultation for the potential 20 new indicators shall run until 5.00pm on Monday 6th February 2012. We would like to encourage patient and carer organisations, and members of the public, in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to comment.
If you would like to view the potential indicators, and participate in the consultation please see this webpage:
http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/qof/ConsultationQOFIndicators.jsp
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will be consulting on the safety and efficacy of Interventional Procedures Consultation:Percutaneous balloon cryoablation for pulmonary vein isolation in atrial fibrillation as part of its Interventional Procedures Programme (IPP). Public consultation is for four weeks and runs between 23rd December 2011 and 24th January 2012
We would be very pleased to receive any comments that you may have on our provisional recommendations and information on recently published literature not included in the procedure overview. If you would like to comment then please do so via our website: http://guidance.nice.org.uk/IP/9950/DraftGuidance
Government Health Policy Initiatives
UK NICE approves apixaban for DVT prevention
NICE has published final draft guidance recommending NHS reimbursement for the use of apixaban (Eliquis, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer) as an option for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults who have undergone planned total hip or total knee replacement surgery.
Updated QOF agenda for AF published
NICE approves Dabigatran in stroke prevention
The final draft guidance from NICE now backs Dabigatran etexilate for preventing stroke in people with atrial fibrillation (AF).
The new oral anticoagulant is the first alternative to warfarin in 50 years.
NICE, whose views are closely watched by similar national bodies, said it expects to issue final guidance on the drug next month.
Final Appraisal Determination for Dabigatran published by NICE
Dabigatran approved for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in AF
NICE publish review recommendations for AF Guidelines (CG36)
NICE asks for more information on new treatment for people with common heart condition
In preliminary recommendations (Published Wednesday 17 August) NICE is asking Boehringer Ingelheim for more information on its product dabigatran (Pradaxa), for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in people with atrial fibrillation.
The NICE chronic heart failure quality standard published on the NICE website.
Please use the following link to view it:
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qualitystandards/chronicheartfailure/home.jsp
NICE launches guidance webpage for patients and the general public.
Go to: http://www.nice.org.uk/patientsandpublic/index.jsp
Guidance from NICE:
Percutaneous occlusion of the left atrial appendage in non-valvular atrial fibrillation for the prevention of thromboembolism
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‘Chest Pain of recent onset’ guideline.
The guideline can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG95
The Unstable angina and NSTEMI clinical guideline (formerly named Acute coronary syndromes) has been published.
You can find all the guidance documents by following this link: http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG94
To see the comments we received during the pre-publication check complete with their responses please follow this link: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=download&o=47992