Quality standard

This quality standard covers diagnosing and managing acute coronary syndromes in adults (aged 18 and over). Acute coronary syndromes are medical emergencies that include myocardial infarction (heart attack) and unstable angina (unexpected, severe chest pain). It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

It does not cover preventing further cardiovascular disease after a myocardial infarction, which is included in NICE’s quality standard on secondary prevention after a myocardial infarction.

In November 2020, this quality standard was updated to reflect the updated NICE guideline on acute coronary syndromes. Statement 3 was amended to reflect that not all people in the population covered will have early invasive intervention and the source guidance references were updated.

How to use NICE quality standards and how we develop them

Quality standards help you improve the quality of care you provide or commission. They apply in England and Wales (see the UK government website and Welsh government website). Decisions on how they apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland are made by ministers in the Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive.

Find out how to use quality standards and how we develop them. We check our quality standards every August to make sure they are up to date.