Quality standard

This quality standard covers preventing and treating surgical site infections. It covers adults, young people and children having a surgical procedure that involves a cut to the skin in all healthcare settings. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

How to use NICE quality standards and how we develop them

Quality standards help you improve the quality of care you provide or commission. They apply in England and Wales (see the UK government website and Welsh government website). Decisions on how they apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland are made by ministers in the Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive.

Find out how to use quality standards and how we develop them. We check our quality standards every August to make sure they are up to date.