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    NICE quality standards: process guide

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    9 Using NICE quality standards

    NICE quality standards provide clear descriptions of high-priority areas for quality improvement and can:

    • help organisations improve quality by supporting comparison of current performance using measures of best practice to identify priorities for improvement

    • provide information for commissioners and providers on how best practice can be used to support high-quality care or services

    • improve quality in the longer term by showing practice with the potential to improve outcomes over time, but that may need specific changes to be put in place first.

    NICE quality standards are not mandatory, but they can be used for a wide range of purposes both locally and nationally. For example:

    • People using services, carers and the public can use the quality standards to identify components of a high-quality service.

    • Health, public health and social care practitioners can include information in audits and other quality improvement programmes to show the quality of care as described in a quality standard, or in professional development and validation.

    • Provider organisations and practitioners can use the quality standards to monitor service improvements; to show that high-quality care or services are being provided and highlight areas for improvement; and to show evidence of the quality of care or services as described in a quality standard through national audit or inspection.

    • Commissioners can use the quality standards to ensure that high-quality care or services are being commissioned through the contracting process or to incentivise provider performance.

    Although NICE quality standards are not targets, providers and commissioners should have due regard to them when planning and delivering services, as part of a general duty to secure continuous improvement in quality. Organisations from the independent sector may also consider using them to ensure that the services they provide are of high quality.

    For more information, see how to use NICE quality standards on the NICE website.