National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
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NICE to continue to drive improvements in health
NICE is to develop more quality standards and associated guidelines for public health after a library of further topic areas was referred to the institute by the Department of Health.
In May 2013, NICE's quality standards programme was broadened to cover topics affecting wider aspects of public health. The first quality standard on public health was smoking cessation published in August 2013.
Four new quality standards in public health areas are also in development and will be published early next year aimed at: preventing and managing obesity in children; preventing harmful alcohol use in the community; smoking: harm reduction and reducing tobacco use in the community.
The Department of Health has now also asked NICE to develop further standards and associated guidelines to tackle the areas of growing burden on public health. NICE will develop over 70 quality standards in public health with topics including:
- Healthcare associated infections
- Antibiotic prescribing
- Oral health
- Skin cancer
- Infectious disease (hepatitis C, HIV, norovirus, flu)
- Sexual health
- Domestic violence
Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health and Social Care at NICE, said: “These new quality standards will help people working in public health, health and social care to make decisions based on the latest evidence and best practice. They will help providers assess their services and, where necessary, drive up their standards – across a wide range of public health challenges from infections linked to healthcare through to tackling domestic violence.”
Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England said: “NICE’s development of quality standards for public health is an invaluable programme of work which has great practical value for those in the front line. Most importantly, it will help improve standards and embed consistency across the system. This, in turn, helps Public Health England in its work with partners.”
NICE quality standards describe high-priority areas for quality improvement in a defined care or service area. They are derived either from NICE guidance or NICE accredited sources, and apply right across the NHS, social care and public health in England.
For further details on the referral and the full list of topics, visit the NICE website.
For more information call the NICE press office on 0300 323 0142 or out of hours on 07775 583 813.
Notes to Editors
About the quality standards
- The full list of topics referred is available at /Standards-and-Indicators/Developing-NICE-quality-standards-/Quality-standards-topic-library.
About NICE quality standards
NICE quality standards aim to help commissioners, health care professionals, social care and public health practitioners and service providers improve the quality of care that they deliver.
NICE quality standards are prioritised statements designed to drive measurable quality improvements within a particular area of health or care. There is an average of 6-8 statements in each quality standard.
Quality standards are derived from high quality evidence-based guidance, such as NICE guidance or guidance from NICE accredited sources, and are produced collaboratively with health care professionals, social care and public health practitioners, along with their partner organisations, patients, carers and service users.
NICE quality standards are not mandatory but they can be used for a wide range of purposes both locally and nationally. For example, patients and service users can use quality standards to help understand what high-quality care should include. Health care professionals and social care and public health practitioners can use quality standards to help deliver high quality care and treatment.
NICE quality standards are not requirements or targets, but the health and social care system is obliged to have regard to them in planning and delivering services, as part of a general duty to secure continuous improvement in quality.
Quality standard topics are formally referred to NICE by NHS England (an executive non-departmental public body, established in October 2012) for health-related areas, and by the Department of Health and Department for Education for areas such as social care and public health.
About NICE
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for driving improvement and excellence in the health and social care system. We develop guidance, standards and information on high-quality health and social care. We also advise on ways to promote healthy living and prevent ill health.
Our aim is to help practitioners deliver the best possible care and give people the most effective treatments, which are based on the most up-to-date evidence and provide value for money, in order to reduce inequalities and variation.
Our products and resources are produced for the NHS, local authorities, care providers, charities, and anyone who has a responsibility for commissioning or providing healthcare, public health or social care services.
To find out more about what we do, visit our website:www.nice.org.uk and follow us on Twitter: @NICEComms.
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