Background
NICE – the National Institute for Clinical Excellence – was established in 1999 by the UK’s Department of Health as an independent body free from political (or other) vested interests. Its remit was to provide advice (“guidance”) to enable health professionals, working in the National Health Service (NHS), to achieve the highest attainable standards of care for their patients.
NICE’s original remit was limited to undertaking “technology appraisals” and to develop “clinical guidelines”. Over the subsequent 15 years, however, its role has been expanded to include other forms of guidance (Table 1). The Institute’s core business, however, remains the production and publication of technology appraisals and clinical guidelines.
Technology appraisals
These provide advice on the clinical and cost effectiveness of predominantly pharmaceutical products. Although, in the early years, it gave advice on the use of devices and diagnostics these have now been subsumed into other guidance programmes (Table 1).