NICE consultation gateway

Welcome to the RCN's NICE consultation gateway. These pages describe how members of the RCN can contribute to the guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The work NICE does

NICE is an independent organisation set up to provide guidance, set quality standards and manage a national database of evidence to improve people's health and prevent and treat ill health. NICE’s work programme includes the following:

Guidance: NICE produces guidance in three main areas:

  • public health: guidance to NHS, local authorities and other organisations in the public, private, voluntary and community sectors in England on to improve people's health and prevent illness and disease
  • health technologies: guidance on the use of new and existing medicines, treatments and procedures within the NHS
  • clinical practice: guidelines on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS.

NHS Evidence: a search device that allows NHS staff to search the Internet for up-to-date evidence of effectiveness and examples of best practice in relation to health and social care.

Quality Standards: develops and defines standards that people can expect to receive regarding specified treatments, cost and patient experience.

Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF): oversees the development of indicators used to show that GPs should be rewarded for providing good quality clinical care and for helping to improve people's health.

Fellowship and Scholarship programme:  the programme provides NHS health professionals, including nurses, with the opportunity to gain invaluable experience working with NICE.

Where NICE guidance applies

NICE guidance on health technologies and clinical practice covers the NHS in England and Wales. Guidance on interventional procedures covers England, Wales and Scotland. Guidance on public health covers England only.

NICE stakeholders

NICE consults the following when developing guidance:

  • National organisations that represent the patients and carers described in a NICE guideline
  • National organisations that represent health professionals directly providing those services described in the guideline
  • Manufacturers with technologies in the clinical area covered by the scope of the guideline
  • Primary care organisations and acute trusts, are selected at random and invited by NICE to participate in the development of a guideline

Topic selection

The Department of Health commissions NICE to develop guidance for the NHS. Nurses as with other stakeholders are encouraged to suggest topics for guidance development. 

You can suggest a NICE topic through the NICE website.

View the current NICE consultations on the NICE website.

Get involved in NICE consultations and read some stories from nurses who have been involved.