Independent committees develop our recommendations.
NICE committees are made up of people like you. They include experts in health and social care, people who use health and care services and carers. Your involvement is highly valued. We are guided by your knowledge and experience.
All our committee members have equal status, reflecting the importance of their different viewpoints.
Join us and use your voice to make a real difference to patient care.
Your role as a NICE committee member
From GPs, nurses and social workers, to pharmacists, physiotherapists and patients, your voice has the power to transform care across the NHS and beyond. As a NICE committee member, your insights help equip health and care practitioners with the guidance they need to deliver the best care.
Following my treatment for colorectal cancer, I wanted to contribute and improve things for patients in the future.
Hear from our professional members representing general practice. They explain why they joined a NICE committee and what it means to them.
Benefits of joining a NICE committee
By joining, you’ll:
- Develop NICE guidance that will have a real impact on patient care. You’ll do this by sharing your knowledge, experience and unique perspective.
- Deepen your understanding of a topic. The knowledge you gain can benefit both yourself as an individual and where relevant, the people you care for.
- Gain insight into how NICE makes independent, rigorous, transparent and evidence-based decisions.
- Work as part of a collaborative team to develop internationally-respected guidance.
- Build your profile, expand your network, and contribute to your own personal or professional development.
Involvement of frontline staff is the difference between ‘ideal world’ recommendations, and practical guidance that is useable in real life.
Who can join a NICE committee?
You do not need to be senior or highly experienced to work with us. If you have an appetite to understand the latest evidence and contribute your views, we’d like to hear from you.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We're especially looking to increase representation of people from ethnic minority groups. Learn more about our commitment to equality.
Health or care professionals who have experience of working in the committee’s topic area can apply to join a committee as a professional member. We reserve lay member roles for people who have personal experience of using health or care services and carers.
We select committee members based on the relevance of their skills and experience. We have rules that help us decide (Word).
Time commitment
Committee members are typically appointed for 3 years, but the tenure for many of our vacancies is shorter (just a few months in some cases). It’s worth looking at individual vacancies for more details.
As well as attending all meetings, members will need to read the committee papers and help produce consultation documents. Preparation time for this varies but it’s usually around 3 to 4 hours per meeting. Please look at individual vacancies for more information.
Our committee meetings are mostly virtual, with a small number of meetings held in a hybrid format. They’re generally held every 4 to 6 weeks. Each vacancy will include relevant details.
Payments and expenses
We reimburse all committee members (Word) for their time. Committee members can also claim for certain expenses such as travel and accommodation costs.
As a shop-floor nurse, I recognised I had a voice and I wanted people further up the ladder to hear it. Being on the committee gives me a sense of empowerment that keeps me motivated.
Professional committee members
For example:
- health and care practitioners (such as GPs, hospital doctors, pharmacists)
- academic researchers
- industry stakeholders.
Your voice is crucial in ensuring our guidance is relevant for frontline delivery, providing maximum benefit for the communities you serve.
Committee chairs
Chairs help committees work collaboratively and ensure that all members contribute equally.
They also make sure that our committees follow our policies, methods and processes.
People with lived experience
For example:
- people using health and care services
- carers.
Your voice is vital in representing those who are directly affected by our recommendations.