A clinical practice guideline on IBS is being developed for use in the NHS in England and Wales. Registered stakeholders for the IBS guideline are invited to comment on the provisional recommendations via this website.

Although individuals and organisations not registered as stakeholders are able to comment, we recommend that you contact the registered stakeholder organisation that most closely represents your interests and pass your comments to them. We work closely with stakeholder organisations and take their views very seriously.

• List of registered stakeholders
• Information on the progress for this guideline topic

Note that the provisional recommendations presented here do not constitute the Institute's formal guidance on this topic. The recommendations are provisional and may change after consultation.

Consultation dates: 16 August – 11 October 2007

Consultation documents:

• Full guideline
• NICE guideline
• Appendices
• Comments Proforma

The full version describes the evidence and views that have been considered, and sets out the provisional recommendations that have been developed.

The (NICE) short version presents the provisional recommendations only with some brief supporting information.
Points to consider in the consultation:

Full version

• Please note that the full version is in four parts due to the large size of the original document
• Points or areas that are not covered, but which appear to fall within the scope of the guideline
• Potential inconsistencies or any disagreement with the Guideline Development Groups interpretation of the evidence
• The practical value of the provisional recommendations.
  

Short version

• Issues of style and format; for example, stakeholders may feel that the information could be made more readable and easy to follow.

How to submit your comments:

•  Please use the comments proforma and return by email to IBS2@nice.org.uk  or on a disk to:
  

Elaine Clydesdale
Guidelines Coordinator
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NA

The Institute is unable to accept:

• More than one response per stakeholder organisation
• Comments received after the consultation deadline
• Comments that are not on the correct proforma
• Confidential information or other material that you would not wish to be made public
• Personal medical information about yourself or another person from which your or the person’s identity could be ascertained.

What will happen to your comments:

• All comments (with the exception of personal, individual comments) will be sent to the developers at the end of the consultation
• Comment from registered stakeholders ONLY will be formally responded to by the developers and posted on the NICE website after the final guideline is published
• Personal, individual comments will be forwarded to the Patient and Public Involvement Programme for NICE, who will consider them when making their response.

Acknowledgement of comments:

You should receive an automated acknowledgement from the email box when you email your comments.  If you do not receive this acknowledgement, please contact the relevant Guidelines Coordinator to ensure your comments have been safely received.

Anticipated publication date: February 2008

Further  information

• More information on NICE’s guideline development process