Consultations
NICE: NICE has issued new draft guidance not recommending the use of cetuximab (Erbitux, Merck Serono), bevacizumab (Avastin, Roche Products) and panitumumab (Vectibix, Amgen) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer that has progressed after first line chemotherapy.
Closing date for comments: 26 September 2011. People who are currently receiving these treatments should have the option to continue therapy until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.
Closing date for comments: 26 September 2011. People who are currently receiving these treatments should have the option to continue therapy until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.
CLG: Fire Minister, Bob Neill, has asked for views on the future of the FireServiceCollege, saying that the Government wants to explore options for a new ownership, operational & governance model for the College through greater involvement from other sectors, including voluntary organisations and the private sector.
Please send your views on delivering a new model for the Fire Service College, addressing the issues in paragraphs 7-9, by 31 October 2011.
ScotGov: Mental health services in Scotland should put individuals, their families & carers at the centre of care & treatment, Michael Matheson said last week. The Public Health Minister was speaking at the launch of a consultation on the Scottish Government's Mental Health Strategy for the next 4 years.
For the first time the draft strategy brings together all mental health improvement & prevention work into one document and sets out 14 high level outcomes aimed at increasing people's understanding of their own mental health so that they can seek action or seek help, ensuring care & treatment is delivered safely & efficiently and understanding the role of families and their carers. Consultation closes 31 January 2012.
NICE: New draft guidance recommends rituximab (MabThera, Roche products) in combination with a wide range of chemotherapy treatments for people with symptomatic stage III & IV follicular lymphoma. The independent appraisal committee at NICE found that rituximab in combination with CVP, CHOP, MCP and CHVPi chemotherapy regimens is both clinically and cost-effective as a first-line treatment. Closing date for comments: 26 September 2011.
NICE: Draft guidance from NICE’s Diagnostics Assessment Programme on 4 new generation cardiac computed tomography (CT) scanners has been issued for public consultation. The provisional recommendations support the use of Somatom Definition Flash CT scanner (Siemens AG Healthcare), Aquilion ONE (Toshiba Medical Systems), Brilliance iCT (Philips Healthcare) and Discovery CT750 (GE Healthcare) in the NHS in England for people with suspected or known coronary artery disease in whom imaging is difficult with earlier generation CT scanners. The consultation closes on 3 October 2011.
NICE: In final draft guidance NICE is recommending the use of mifamurtide (Mepact, Takeda) in combination with postoperative multi-agent chemotherapy as an option for treating high-grade resectable non-metastatic osteosarcoma (bone cancer), when it's made available at a reduced cost to the NHS under a patient access scheme. NICE has not yet issued final guidance to the NHS. Please note that the appeal period for this appraisal will close at 5pm on 21 September 2011.
NIA: The Assembly Committee for Social Development has strongly urged people to respond to the Department of Social Development’s consultation on the impact of proposed changes to welfare reform. The draft EQIA consultation period will run until 30 November 2011.
