Update to 'Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma': guidance consultation

An update to NICE cancer service guidance on 'Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma' is being developed for use in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Registered stakeholders for this guideline are invited to comment on the provisional recommendations via this website. 

Individuals and organisations not registered as stakeholders are not able to comment, we recommend that you register as a stakeholder or you contact the registered stakeholder organisation that most closely represents your interests and pass your comments to them.

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.

This guidance is a partial update of NICE cancer service guidance published in February 2006 and will replace evidence and recommendations relating to the management of ‘low-risk’ basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in the community only (currently found in chapter 3 'Organisation of skin cancer services').

You are invited to comment on this partial update only, which is based on the Guideline Development Group’s discussions in relation to the arrangements under which healthcare professionals dealing with skin lesions in the community could remove 'low-risk' BCCs and how services for skin cancer patients are commissioned. It contains new recommendations and, where relevant, updated recommendations from the original guidance.

Consultation dates: 23 November – 21 December 2009

Consultation documents

• Management of low-risk basal cell carcinomas in the community
• Evidence review
• Consultation comments proforma

Points to consider in the consultation

• Potential inconsistencies or any disagreement with the Guideline Development Group's interpretation of the evidence.
• The practical value of the provisional recommendations.
• Issues of style and format; for example, stakeholders may feel that the information could be made more readable and easy to follow.
• Do you think this guidance could be changed to better promote equality of opportunity relating to age, disability, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion and belief, sexual orientation or socio-economic status?

How to submit your comments

Please use the comments proforma and return by email to SkinCancerUpdate@nice.org.uk

The Institute is unable to accept:

• Comments from non-registered organisations – if you wish your comments to be considered please register via the NICE website
• Comments from individuals – please contact the registered stakeholder organisation that most closely represents your interests and pass your comments to them
• Comments received after the consultation deadline (5pm)
• Comments that are not on the correct proforma
•  More than one response per stakeholder organisation
• 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 eligible comments will be sent to the developers at the end of the consultation.
• Comments from registered stakeholders and nominated expert reviewers ONLY will be formally responded to by the developers and posted on the NICE website at the time of the pre-publication check.
• No action will be taken upon receipt of personal, individual comments, comments from non-registered organisations and late comments.
• Please note: The Institute reserves the right to summarise and edit comments received during consultations, or not to publish them at all, where in the reasonable opinion of the Institute, the comments are voluminous, publication would be unlawful or publication would be otherwise inappropriate.

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.

Comments received in the course or consultations carried out by the Institute are published in the interests of openness and transparency, and to promote understanding of how recommendations are developed. The comments are published as a record of the submissions that the Institute has received, and are not endorsed by the Institute, its officers or advisory committees.

Anticipated publication date: March 2010

Further information

• More information on NICE’s guideline development process