UK's NICE to develop 31 new quality standards

The UK’s drug watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) say it is to develop 31 new quality standards in clinical areas such as asthma, diabetes in children, epilepsy and lung cancer. The new standards, which have been referred to the NICE by the Department of Health, will add to the four already published by NICE in 2010, with a further nine currently in development and due for publication later this year.

Aimed at patients and the public, health care professionals, public health practitioners, commissioners and service providers, The NICE quality standards are markers of excellence in patient care. They are developed in collaboration with the National Health Service (NHS) and social care professionals, along with their partners and service users and are the only health and social care standards that apply nationally in England.

Based on the best available evidence, usually the NICE guidance or other sources that have been accredited by NHS Evidence, NICE quality standards will play a key role in the new NHS Outcomes Framework, which sets out the aims and objectives towards improving outcomes in the NHS, and what this means for patients and health care professionals.