Consultant's catch-up

Traditionally, NICE guidance which considers drugs and new technologies have had a higher profile than other types of NICE guidance. This has been due to number of factors; relative ease of implementation, statutory funding requirements and a high media public profile.
However, recent field visits have highlighted the increasing relevance of the NICE clinical and public health guidelines programmes to key health policies. As my colleague, Gill Mathews mentioned in last month's article, the NICE Field Team is presently visiting and speaking with PCT commissioning teams. Within commissioning major changes are taking place, encouraged by the World Class Commissioning policy and the continued drive to take full account of quality and outcomes, as well cost and volume, when making commissioning decisions. Other policy objectives such a reducing inequalities, the 18 week target, improving access to services and meeting the needs of people with long term conditions are also exercising the minds of commissioners.

NICE clinical and public guidance have an important part to play in helping people charged with achieving these goals. During our recent visits we have been discussing with commissioners how our guidance can help inform local thinking and decision making. For example, implementation of our clinical guidelines on dementia, heart failure, obesity and COPD (and there are many more) can help improve the quality of services and outcomes for people with long term conditions, ensure that services are appropriate for the needs of users and are provided cost effectively - surely the objectives of any commissioning team. Incorporating NICE guidance into local commissioning strategies can also contribute to efforts to reduce levels of inequality. Further examples include our guidance on obesity, long acting reversible contraception (LARC), community engagement and smoking cessation.

So the message is; when developing commissioning policies and strategies NICE guidance should be a key source of reference.

Another important national policy objective is to encourage closer working between local authorities and the NHS. Joint commissioning, collaboration and joint working are seen as one way of addressing health inequalities and are also a recognition of the wider determinants of health and well being. In this instance, as with commissioning, NICE guidance can support local decision making. A look at the titles of our public health guidance will hopefully show that NICE is in tune, not only with the requirements of the NHS, but also with local health priorities in their widest sense. In 2008 NICE will publish a significant amount of public health guidance. We would encourage all those working to improve the health and well being of communities to use NICE guidance as a source of reference and support whilst developing and implementing local policies.

Chris Connell

chris.connell@nice.org.uk