The revised NICE public health process and methods manuals: consultation on the 2008 drafts
The Centre for Public Health Excellence (CPHE) at NICE has carried out a review of the 'Process' and 'Methods' manuals for public health guidance. These documents describe the process and methods for developing public health intervention and programme guidance of NICE.
Points to note:
- The draft revised Process manual includes a new 8 week consultation on the draft guidance and the evidence. Currently there is a 4 week consultation on the evidence before the draft guidance is prepared, followed by a separate 4 week consultation on the draft guidance. The 4 week consultation on the draft scope remains unchanged.
- There are new sections in the draft revised Process manual on: topic selection; equity and equality assessment; holding Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee(PHIAC) meetings in public; expert testimony at PHIAC and Programme Development Group (PDG) meetings; dealing with commercial in confidence and policy in confidence evidence; developing combined clinical and public health guidance; updating technology appraisals within public health guidance; dealing with overlapping guidance topics; and updating guidance.
- There are key changes in the draft revised Methods manual relating to: equity and equality assessment; topic selection and scoping; developing review questions; reviewing qualitative evidence; structure and terminology for evidence statements; assessing applicability; and new methodology checklists.
The draft revised manuals are now open for consultation from 1 October 2008 to 2 January 2009. We would like to receive comments on these documents from anyone who has an interest in the NICE public health guidance.
Comments should be made using the comments proformas below (note there are separate forms relating to the Process and Methods manuals), and the closing date for receipt of comments is Friday 2 January 2009.
Note: these documents do not constitute the final version of the manuals. The text is preliminary and may change after consultation. The final revised manuals are due for publication in April 2009.
Consultation period: 1 October 2008 - 2 January 2009
How to submit your comments
- Please use the comments proforma below (note there are separate forms relating to the Process and Methods manuals)
- Email your completed comments proformas to CPHEManuals2008@nice.org.uk
- Please submit by 2 January 2009
NICE is committed to promoting equality and eliminating unlawful discrimination. If you have a disability that prevents you from submitting your comments via these proformas, please contact Melinda Kay at melinda.kay@nice.org.uk or 0161 870 3121 to arrange an alternative method.
NICE is unable to accept:
- Comments received after the consultation deadline.
- Comments that are not submitted using the comments proformas below (unless alternative arrangements have been agreed).
- Confidential information or other material that you would not wish to be made public.
- Attachments such as journal articles. If you wish to highlight specific studies, please cite the full journal reference in your comments.
What will happen to your comments?
Your comments will be passed to the team in CPHE responsible for revisions to the manuals.
Comments received in the course or consultations carried out by the Institute are published in the interests of openness and transparency. The comments are published as a record of the submissions that the Institute has received, and are not endorsed by the Institute, its officers or advisory committees.
Note: The Institute reserves the right to summarise and edit comments received during consultations, or not to publish them at all, where in the reasonable opinion of the Institute, the comments are voluminous, publication would be unlawful or publication would be otherwise inappropriate.
