We strive to ensure that our decisions are independent, consistent and transparent. To support this we've updated our prioritisation process, and now use a consistent, common framework to inform all our prioritisation decisions.
We're developing a new centralised approach to prioritising our guidance topics. This will ensure that we produce guidance that is relevant, timely, accessible, and has demonstrable impact.
Decisions will only be reviewed where there are factual errors or when significant new evidence comes to light following publication.
Stakeholders can seek clarification within 20 working days following the publication of the prioritisation board's decisions.
Prioritisation board decisions
| Prioritisation board meeting date | Topic title | Decision | Routing decision | Rationale | Decision publication date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 January | Digital platforms for cardiac rehabilitation | Prioritised | HealthTech | Prioritisation board agreed that digital platforms have the potential to address system needs in this area. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Esketamine nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression (TA854) | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board noted that this treatment has been given a negative recommendation previously. It was agreed that the additional evidence available is unlikely to change the existing recommendation. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Rheumatoid arthritis | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board noted that relevant guidance already exists, and the recommendations are not incorrect. System intelligence indicated that TA inclusion is the priority in this space. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Familial breast cancer | Prioritised | Guidelines | It was recognised that there is relevant evidence in this area which may lead to new recommendations. There is also a need to ensure consistency with other related NICE guidance. An update offers an opportunity to address inequalities. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Vaginal microbiota seeding for neonates | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board was aware of ongoing research in this area. It was agreed that this is outside the usual remit of the programme and there is a lack of existing methodology to evaluate the procedure. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Learning disabilities | Not prioritised | N/A | It was agreed there was limited evidence available to support guidance that would be of value to the system. It was also noted there would be overlap with existing NICE guidelines. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Optical coherence Tomography for PCI | Withdraw | Interventional Procedures | Prioritisation board agreed that this is now standard practice with no safety concerns, and that consequently it was appropriate to withdraw the existing Interventional Procedure guidance. | 11 July |
| 28 February | Robotic assisted surgery | Prioritised for early value assessment | HealthTech | Prioritisation board agreed there is a system need for guidance in this area and that early value assessments should be developed. | 11 July |
| 25 March | Psoriasis | Prioritised | Guidelines | It was recognised there is new evidence that has the potential to affect existing recommendations. Updated guidance should also help to address variation in practice within the system. | 11 July |
| 25 March | Psychosocial interventions for autistic children and young people | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed that this is an area of unmet need where there would be a significant system benefit of recommendations. | 11 July |
| 25 March | Acanthamoeba Keratitis | Not prioritised | N/A | Update 11/10/24 Prioritisation Board originally did not prioritise this topic. Following a request for clarification, NICE’s Guidance Executive agreed that there is a potential system need for this product and this topic will now be prioritised. |
11 July |
| 25 March | Adults in supported living | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board noted the existing UK government guidance in this area and raised concerns about the availability of suitable evidence to support the development of recommendations. The board also had concerns about system capacity to implement any recommendations. It was agreed not to prioritise the topic at this time but that it may be reconsidered at a later date. | 11 July |
| 25 March | Hemochromatosis | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board were aware of existing EASL and British Society for Haematology guidance in this area and so agreed this is not a priority for NICE currently. | 11 July |
| 24 April | Surgical vessel sealing systems | Not prioritised | HealthTech | Prioritisation board agreed that as this is an established technology within the NHS, it may be appropriate for future consideration as a potential topic within the late-stage assessment approach that is being piloted currently. | 11 July |
| 24 April | Non-invasive skin closure devices for surgical incisions | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed that there is limited evidence in this area, and no clear need for system guidance. | 11 July |
| 24 April | Bladder EpiCheck for the detection of bladder cancer recurrence | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed this is not an area of high system priority. There are recently published European guidelines on this topic which do not recommend the technology. | 11 July |
| 24 April | Alcohol-use disorders prevention | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed there is a system need for current evidence-based guidance in this area. | 11 July |
| 24 April | Physical activity in the workplace | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed that given the challenges of implementing this guidance, it is not a current priority. | 11 July |
| 24 April | Obsessive compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder: treatment | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed that mental health is a high priority area for the system with the potential for significant population impact. | 11 July |
| 29 May | AI for mammography | Prioritised | HealthTech | Prioritisation Board noted there is a growing evidence base in this area with the potential for significant patient and system benefit through the improved detection of breast cancer. | 23 August |
| 29 May | Violence and aggression in people with mental health problems | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed that there was potential for significant benefits to the system. | 11 July |
| 29 May | Management of chronic breathlessness | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed that there was little evidence relevant to the scope of this topic area, and that the usefulness of a guideline would be limited. | 11 July |
| 29 May | Psychosocial distress in people living with cancer | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed that there would be significant challenges for the system in implementing guidance in this area. | 11 July |
| 29 May | Gender incongruence in children and young people | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed that there was limited value to the system in developing a guideline at this time given the recently published Cass review and a lack of high-quality evidence in this topic area. | 11 July |
| 10 June | HST - Duchenne muscular dystrophy - givinostat | Not prioritised as a highly specialised technology | Technology appraisals | Prioritisation board agreed that this didn’t meet the criteria to be considered as a highly specialised technology and that it should be considered as a technology appraisal instead. | 11 July |
| 10 June | Familial hypercholesterolaemia | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed there was sufficient evidence to support recommendation development. Updated guidance should improve patient outcomes. | 11 July |
| 10 June | Digital support for children and young people with eating disorders | Prioritised | HealthTech | Prioritisation board agreed that digital technologies for this group have the potential to address current system challenges. | 11 July |
| 24 June | Autism: assessment and diagnosis | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed that effective diagnosis is likely to have significant benefit for individuals, their families and carers. They recognised this is an area with significant system need. | 11 July |
| 24 June | Autism - digital technologies | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board confirmed that it was not possible to prioritise guidance on this topic as there are currently no appropriately regulated technologies in this area. | 11 July |
| 24 June | Domestic violence and abuse | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed this is a topic that has the potential for significant system benefits. Updated guidance is likely to address inequalities. | 11 July |
| 24 June | Evoke spinal cord stimulator | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board noted that guidance development had been paused as the manufacturers could not support it. They noted the existence of similar technologies in this space and limited system need as a result. | 11 July |
| 24 June | Peezy midstream | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board noted that the evidence suggested the technology was not effective for key outcomes. It was agreed that there was no value to the system in producing guidance that did not support the technology. | 11 July |
| 08 July | Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe acute respiratory failure in adults | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed that there was limited evidence available in this area and that an update would be unlikely to change the recommendations. It was agreed some editorial amendments could be made both to the guidance and related maternity guidelines. | 12 July |
| 08 July | Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute heart failure in adults | Prioritised | Interventional procedures | Prioritisation board agreed that there was sufficient evidence available which could impact on the existing recommendations. | 12 July |
| 08 July | Smoking cessation (digital technologies) | Prioritised | HealthTech | Prioritisation board agreed that there would likely be significant system benefits from developing guidance in this area. | 12 July |
| 08 July | Atopic dermatitis (Eczema) - Young people and adults | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed there is uncertainty about the need for guidance at this time. More needs to be understood regarding potential external guidance in development. The topic will be reconsidered at a later date. | 12 July |
| 08 July | Bladder cancer | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed there is new evidence in this area which has the potential to impact on the existing recommendations. | 12 July |
| 08 July | Type 2 diabetes – insulin therapy | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed that there are important clinical questions to address for the system regarding which insulin to use for this population, and when it should be offered. | 12 July |
| 24 July | NPi-200 for pupillary light reflex in critical care patients | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation board agreed there was insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance. | 5 August |
| 24 July | Lower urinary tract symptoms in men, trans and non-binary people with a prostate: assessment and management | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board agreed that this is a large population group where updated recommendations are likely to improve care. | 5 August |
| 24 July | Aquablation robotic therapy for lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia | Not prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation board noted that there is an existing Interventional Procedures guidance on this topic (IPG770). That guidance can be considered for inclusion in the update of the guideline on lower urinary tract symptoms men, trans and non-binary people with a prostate. | 5 August |
| 24 July | Surgical site infections – preoperative prophylactic antibiotics plus mechanical bowel preparation | Withdraw recommendations regarding antibiotic prophylaxis | Guidelines | Prioritisation board recognised that the recommendations regarding antibiotic prophylaxis is out of date and there is other relevant external guidance available. NICE will look to collaborate with external partners in relation to this topic. | 5 August |
| 24 July | Tumour treating fields for glioblastoma | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed this was an important area of clinical need, however the evidence is limited and on the basis of the available evidence, the treatment is unlikely to be cost effective. However, the topic should be reconsidered once ongoing trials have completed. | 16 August |
| 28 August | Childhood hearing loss | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed there is limited evidence available in this area and NHS England has developed an Action Plan on Hearing Loss which addresses care for this population. | 18 September |
| 28 August | Visual rehabilitation | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance. | 18 September |
| 28 August | Health anxiety | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that the topic of health anxiety is likely to be addressed in other planned guidance regarding medically unexplained symptoms and that consequently it should not be prioritised at this time. | 18 September |
| 28 August | Hospital transfer when analgesia fails | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance and that there does not appear to be a system need. | 18 September |
| 28 August | RenalGuard | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there does not appear to be a significant system need for the technology and that there is the potential for an increased budget impact compared with current clinical practice. | 18 September |
| 28 August | Motor neurone disease | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed there was insufficient evidence in this area to update the guideline currently. It was agreed it will be reconsidered by Prioritisation Board in the 2026/27 business year. | 27 November |
| 28 August | Insertion of a balloon device to disimpact an engaged fetal head before an emergency caesarean section (IPG 515) | Withdraw | Interventional Procedures | Prioritisation Board agreed that as the key trial underpinning the current IP guidance has been withdrawn it is appropriate to withdraw the existing guidance while the update is developed. | 27 November |
| 26 September | Strongyloides stercoralis infection | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is existing guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) regarding strongyloidiasis infection and so NICE guidance is not required. | 11 October |
| 26 September | Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that although this is an important topic, there is currently insufficient evidence for NICE to develop recommendations. NICE will continue to monitor evidence on this topic and revisit it at a subsequent Prioritisation Board meeting in at most two years. | 11 October |
| 26 September | Management and prevention of nitrous oxide abuse | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there are relevant recommendations regarding nitrous oxide use in its guideline on Vitamin B12 deficiency in over 16s (NG239). Consequently, they did not believe that additional guidance is a priority at this time. | 11 October |
| 26 September | Digital health technologies for supported self-management of asthma | Prioritised | HealthTech | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is a growing evidence base in this area and system need for guidance on this topic. | 11 October |
| 26 September | Omaveloxolone for Friedrich’s ataxia in people 16 years and over (ID6423) | No prioritised as a highly specialised technology | Technology appraisals | Prioritisation Board agreed that the available figures showed that criterion 2 of the highly specialised technologies criteria, regarding eligibility for the treatment, was not met (see appendix 1 of NICE-wide topic prioritisation: the manual). Consequently, it was agreed that the treatment should be routed to the technology appraisals programme. | 24 October |
| 16 October | Low calorie diets for type 2 diabetes remission | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board acknowledged that this topic has been addressed as part of the update to NICE’s obesity guideline. Consequently they agreed that this topic should not be prioritised at this time but that it could be reconsidered in due course. | 24 October |
| 16 October | Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation Board recognised that there is a significant amount of new evidence in this area and agreed that there is a clear system need for up-to-date guidance on this topic. | 24 October |
| 16 October | MAGEC system for spinal lengthening in children with scoliosis | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board recognised that NHS England is currently updating its commissioning policy on this topic. Consequently, they agreed it was not appropriate to prioritise an update to this guidance currently. The position will be reviewed after the policy has been updated. | 24 October |
| 16 October | Management of oral surgery for people on biological medicines | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is very limited clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence in this area. They also noted that prescribing information is available from the British National Formulary and the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association’s Handbook of Perioperative Medicines. Consequently, they agreed that this topic should not be prioritised. | 27 November |
| 30 October | PANS/PANDAS | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance. | 27 November |
| 30 October | Mental health provision for children in care | Not prioritised | N/A | Prioritisation Board agreed that this topic suggestion relates primarily to the development of service delivery models and this is not an area where NICE would be best placed to add value to the system. | 27 November |
| 30 October | Tofersen for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by SOD1 gene mutations (ID3767) | Prioritised as a highly specialised technology | Highly specialised technologies | Prioritisation Board confirmed that all of the criteria for this to be considered as a highly specialised technology were met. | 27 November |
| 30 October | Aspirin for VTE prophylaxis in orthopaedic surgery | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation Board agreed that there is significant new evidence available and a clear system benefit in addressing this topic with the potential for cost-savings. | 27 November |
| 30 October | Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis and management of physical complications | Prioritised | Guidelines | Prioritisation Board recognised that there is significant new evidence in this area and potential system benefits to updating this guideline. | 27 November |