NICE News for Health and Social Care - August 2023
Updated quality standard on alcohol-use disorders
We've updated our quality standard on alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis and management. It's relevant for service providers, health and social care practitioners and commissioners. Our new quality statements focus on 5 key areas: the use of validated alcohol questionnaires, community support networks and self-help groups, triage assessment in specialist alcohol services, acute alcohol withdrawal, and interventions to prevent relapse after unplanned withdrawal from alcohol in hospital.
Alcohol dependence affects 4% of people aged between 16 and 65 in England. Our quality standard describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.
First-ever NICE guideline on vitamin B12 deficiency
Older people with unexplained fatigue or mental health problems should be offered a vitamin B12 test, according to our latest guidance. Our draft publication offers evidence-based recommendations on how to diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency and which treatment option to use. It recommends that patients should be offered a blood test if they have 1 symptom and at least 1 risk factor. One in 10 people over the age of 75 have a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to anaemia, blurred vision, impaired balance and delirium. Up to 46,000 people could benefit from being diagnosed.
Consultation on our draft guideline is open until 5pm on Tuesday 22 August 2023.
Antimicrobial resistance consultation
In partnership with NHS England, we've launched a consultation on plans to incentivise the pharmaceutical industry to develop new antibiotics. The proposals build on our successful pilot project, which paid companies a fixed annual fee for antimicrobials based on their value to the NHS, rather than the volumes used. We speak with Sophie Cooper, NICE's senior scientific adviser, and David Glover, NHS England's assistant director of medicines analysis.
Listen to antimicrobial resistance podcast
Announcements
NICE to stop supplying print copies of BNF and BNFC to the NHS in England
The upcoming editions of the British National Formulary (BNF) and British National Formulary for Children (BNFC) will be the last print editions we will supply to the NHS in England. These are scheduled for distribution to eligible groups in October and November 2023. We've made this decision to support the use of up-to-date content, and drive sustainability and digital transformation. It follows extensive user research, and an increasing preference for the online and mobile app versions.
Social care
Supporting adult carers: our role as care professionals
In her recent blog post, Deborah Sturdy, England's chief nurse for adult social care, urges all care colleagues to read and absorb our guidance on supporting adult carers.
Get involved
Comment on a consultation
Our current consultations include:
Skin cancer
Submit your comments by Thursday 10 August 2023.Lymphovenous anastomosis at the time of axillary/inguinal lymph node dissection for the prevention of secondary lymphoedema
Submit your comments by Wednesday16 August 2023.Vitamin B12 deficiency in over 16s: diagnosis and management
Submit your comments by Tuesday 22 August 2023.Neonatal infection
Submit your comments by Thursday 24 August 2023.
Consultation is a key part of our guidance development process. It is only by listening to your unique perspectives that we can create advice that is useful and useable for busy health and care staff, making a real difference to patient care.
Join a committee
Health and care professionals from a wide range of backgrounds work with NICE to produce our recommendations. Your involvement helps to ensure our guidance is useable in practice. Committee vacancies currently include breast cancer guideline updates and our highly specialised technology evaluation committee. Join us and have an active role in producing a guideline or quality standard.
Observe a meeting
Our advisory committee meetings, technology appraisal appeal hearings and public board meetings are open to the public. Holding them in public supports our commitment to having processes in place that are rigorous, open, and transparent.
Blogs
NHS at 75
This month, the NHS marked 75 years of service. In this blog post, our chief executive, Dr Sam Roberts, celebrates the occasion. She also discusses how NICE has supported the NHS with its recent achievements.
Events
NICE is transforming: an update on our progress and future ambitions
This month, we held a webinar to explain:
how we’re ensuring our guidance is relevant and timely
our plans to support a system under pressure
our priorities: focusing on what matters most, creating useful and useable advice, continually learning from data and implementation.
You can now watch the webinar on our YouTube channel and read more in our Transforming NICE feature.
Other resources
New e-learning modules to boost patient safety
NHS colleagues across England can now complete new patient safety training modules. You'll learn about how and why patient safety incidents happen, and what you should consider in your own role to support the NHS to improve safety. The new modules support all colleagues, not just those who provide direct care to patients, as everyone can have an impact on patient safety through their decisions and actions.
NHS England has introduced this training as part of the National Patient Safety Syllabus.