NICE was asked by the Department of Health (DH) to produce programme guidance for the NHS on the provision of contraceptive services in appropriate settings for socially disadvantaged young people (up to the age of 25). The scope is available from the NICE website.

All registered stakeholders are now invited to comment on the evidence that has been assembled to inform the development of this guidance. This evidence is used by the Programme Development Group (PDG) to develop draft recommendations.

The consultation on this evidence will run from 8 February to 8 March 2010. 

Key areas for comment:

The aim of this consultation is to enable stakeholders to consider the evidence and to provide the opportunity to comment, in particular on:

• major gaps in the evidence reviews, 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 equity, equality and diversity
• issues relating to cost-effectiveness

Submit relevant evidence

Registered stakeholders are also invited to submit relevant additional evidence by 5pm on Monday 8^th March 2010. Please ensure the evidence is relevant to the questions set out in the scope for this guidance.

Please email us with a hyperlink to an electronic copy of the report/article or with the full reference details (which are to include author/s, title, date, journal or publication details [including volume, issue number and page numbers]); or email us with details of where/how a full copy can be obtained to Contraceptiveservices@nice.org.uk

Alternatively, a paper copy can be sent to: Palida Teelucknavan, CPHE Coordinator, NICE, MidCity Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NA. Please ensure that permission from the copyright holder has been obtained prior to sending a copy to us.

Any material submitted by stakeholders during this consultation will be assessed for its relevance using NICE's standard methods, as set out in the Methods for development of NICE public health guidance, 2009 available on the NICE website.

How and when to comment

Please provide all responses to this consultation on the of evidence electronically using the Stakeholder Comments Form (ensuring all relevant fields are completed, including your organisation's name) and forward this, along with any additional suggestions for evidence, by 5pm on Monday 8 March 2010 at the very latest to Contraceptiveservices@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 proforma
• confidential information or other material that you would not wish to be made public

Consultation Documents

• CS Review 1  Services and interventions in education settings
• CS Review 2  Services and interventions in healthcare settings
• CS Review 3  Services and interventions in community settings
• CS Review 4  Views of users and providers
• Contraceptive services for socially disadvantaged young people: Stakeholder Comments Form

All the evidence reviews were conducted by the School of Health and related Research (ScHARR)  University of Sheffield.

Please note: The evidence presented here does not constitute the Institute's guidance on this topic. NICE will issue draft guidance on ‘Contraceptive services for disadvantaged young people in May 2010. Cost effectiveness analysis reports will be issued for consultation at the same time. 

What will happen to your comments

• All comments (with the exception of personal, individual comments and late comments) will be sent to the project team at the end of the consultation
• Comments from registered stakeholders will be formally responded to by the project team and posted on the NICE website when the draft guidance 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.