NICE have been asked to develop a clinical practice guideline on Referral for Suspected Cancer for use in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The draft scope defines what aspects of care the guideline will cover and to whom it will apply.  Registered stakeholders for this guideline are invited to submit comments on the scope and may suggest clinical questions that could be answered in the guideline. 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.

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

Consultation dates: 3 - 30 April 2012

Consultation documents

• Draft scope
• Comments proforma

Points to consider in the consultation

Do you think this scope 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?

In answering this question, please include details of:

• Which particular parts of the scope you think affect equality of opportunity.
• Why and how you think equality of opportunity is affected.

How to submit your comments

Please use the comments proforma and return by email to RFSC@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
• More than one response per stakeholder organisation
• Comments received after the consultation deadline (5pm)
• 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 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 after the final scope is published.
• No action will be taken upon receipt of personal, individual comments 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.

Consultation on draft guideline: tbc

Anticipated publication date: March 2014

More information on developing NICE clinical guidelines