Quality standard

This quality standard covers providing and organising cancer services for babies, children and young people (from birth to 24 years, although the upper age limit may vary). It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

It does not cover diagnosis and treatment of specific cancers.

NICE has published a quality standard on suspected cancer, which includes investigation and referral to specialist services.

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.