NICE to develop new public health focus for work programme

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is to develop new clinical and public health guidance as part of its 15th work programme.

Topics that have been referred to NICE from the Department of Health include both new and emerging health technologies as well as drugs, devices and procedures that are already being used but display variation in their implementation.

Dawn Primarolo, minister for public health, indicated that the work programme reflected the Government’s commitment to ensuring that NICE focused on a wide range of health issues.

She went onto outline that NICE was being asked to produce guidance on severe mental illness corresponding to substance misuse as well as being asked to issue guidelines on alcohol use disorders that include early indication of such health problems.

“As part of its technology appraisal programme, NICE will produce guidance on a number of new cancer drugs and a new drug for the treatment of venous thromboembolism.” Ms Primarolo added.

NICE is the body responsible for giving authorisation to the NHS for making new drugs available to patients throughout England and Wales.

Also this week, the Department of Health has announced that islet transplantation treatment will be offered to patients with type one diabetes.