Public health guidance for primary care and residential care on interventions that promote older people’s mental wellbeing is being developed by NICE’s Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee (PHIAC).

Consultation dates: 10 September – 8 October 2007

All registered stakeholders are invited to comment on the evidence that has been assembled to inform the development of the guidance. The evidence comprises a review of effectiveness and cost effectiveness plus an economic appraisal. This evidence is being considered by PHIAC in September 2007 in order to produce draft recommendations, to be released for consultation in November/December 2007.

Key areas for comment:

The aim of this process is to enable stakeholders to consider the evidence gathered during this first phase and to provide the opportunity to comment, in particular on:

• major gaps in the evidence gathered, including papers in the published literature that we have not been able to identify
• queries around the interpretation of the evidence, both of single studies and the reviewed material as a whole
• the applicability of the evidence and its usefulness for the development of guidance 
• issues relating to the cost-effectiveness analysis

This consultation on the draft summary of the evidence runs for 4 weeks from 10th September until 8th October 2007. During this period, registered stakeholders are also invited to submit relevant additional evidence for consideration by PHIAC. In order for NICE to be able to produce guidance in a timely fashion, materials should be:

• relevant to the questions set out in the scope document
• currently not included in the evidence summary reports
• provided as hard copy or as an electronic link to a freely accessible version of the complete document.

Please note that materials must be supplied by 8th October 2007 to our email address: mentalhealtholderpeople@nice.org.uk and that unfortunately, due to time constraints, we are unable to engage in further discussions about material included or excluded at this stage. We are also interested in any evaluative materials you may have relating particularly to your own area of activity that is publicly available, including information relating to implementation issues.

How to submit your comments:
Please use the comments form and return by email to mentalhealtholderpeople@nice.org.uk
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 form
• confidential information or other material that you would not wish to be made public
• personal information about yourself or another person from which your or the person’s identity could be ascertained

Consultation documents:

• Introduction to the consultation on the evidence
• Review of effectiveness and cost effectiveness – Executive Summary
• Review of effectiveness and cost effectiveness – Main Report
• Review of effectiveness and cost effectiveness – Evidence tables
• Stakeholder comments form

Note that the evidence presented here does not constitute the Institute's guidance on this topic.
Further information

• Project summary page (including scope, list of registered stakeholders)
• More information on NICE’s public health development guidance methods and processes