Currently, our guidance is published according to the programme that developed it (for example NICE guidelines and NICE technology appraisals). This means that users can find it harder to access and navigate all NICE recommendations about a condition because they must search in multiple places on the NICE website to find them.
We want to bring together and make it easier for users to find all of our guidance about a condition or disease. This is underpinned by our strategic objective to provide guidance that is useful and useable. Our aims are to:
Provide a better experience for users and help increase the adoption of NICE guidance, leading to better outcomes for patients and better use of NHS resources.
Produce quality-assured products that can be used by healthcare professionals and patients and that can be rapidly updated as new technologies become available.
This document sets out the updated interim process and methods statement for bringing together NICE guidance, following changes made to the statement that was released for public consultation in February 2024.
All NICE technology appraisals (both positive and negative) within the scope of a topic will be incorporated in a NICE guideline by presenting them in the guideline at the appropriate point in the care pathway. No assessment will be made comparing the treatment specified in the NICE technology appraisal guidance with other treatment options. The NICE technology appraisal recommendations will remain in place and there will be no change to the meaning, intent or the eligible population for which there is a funding requirement (when applied for positive recommendations).
During incorporation we will consider whether:
there are any existing treatment options at that decision point
topic expert input is needed to ensure clarity and usability of the NICE guideline
additional wording is needed within the NICE guideline to ensure that the presentation of all the appropriate treatment options is clear.
As part of the 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth, we have committed to increasing our efforts for timely update of NICE guidelines to incorporate NICE technology appraisal guidance recommendations.
All NICE technology appraisals that are within the scope of a NICE guideline will be incorporated. NICE's technology appraisal programme typically covers new technologies, new pharmaceutical products or new licensed indications. Some products may not fit within the scope of a current NICE guideline. This may be because there is no NICE guideline for that condition, or because treatment options for the relevant population are not covered within the scope of NICE's current guideline on that topic area. When new NICE technology appraisals are published they will be incorporated into relevant NICE guideline(s) where existing technology appraisal recommendations have already been fully incorporated.
We will regularly review our process and methods for incorporating NICE technology appraisals, updating and consulting with stakeholders if needed, to ensure our guidance continues to meet user and system needs.