Ref: NICE 2000/037 Issued: 11October 2000
The Institute has read 'A Preliminary Verdict from the Public Relations Division of Burson-Marsteller (BKSH)' which sets out Burson-Marsteller's opinions on the Institute and its work.
Andrew Dillon Chief Executive of NICE said " The Institute always welcomes constructive comment on its activities. We were therefore surprised that no one from Burson-Marsteller contacted the Institute to inform or reference their opinion on our work and we were both concerned and disappointed by the factual inaccuracies in their report. I have written to Mr. Lindsley and asked that Burson-Marsteller issue a correction to those to whom they sent their original report".
For further information contact:
Anne-Toni Rodgers
Notes to Editors.
1. The report contains several factual inaccuracies, including the following:
- Professor Peter Littlejohns, Clinical Director, has not resigned.
- The Institute has not yet issued guidance on aspects of Laproscopic surgery.
- The Institute's guidance on advances in hearing aids was not four months late; it was produced in accordance with the Institute's published schedule (The NICE work programme can be found at: www.nice.org.uk)
- Responsibility for PRODIGY, a computer-based support system for GPs has not been given to the Institute. The Institute's responsibility for PRODIGY is limited to the production of the guidelines it contains and not, as the report implies, the system and its promotion, these aspects remain the responsibility of the Department of Health.
2 The Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation is Stephen Thornton, not Malcolm Thornton.
3 In general the opinion expressed in the Burson-Marteller report is not referenced.
