Feature / NICE update

?NICE published the following guidance in December and January.

Clinical guidelines?

• CG174 Intravenous fluid therapy in adults in hospital – This guideline has recommendations about general principles for managing intravenous (IV) fluids, and applies to a range of conditions and different settings. It is anticipated that implementing the guidance will improve patient safety and may create savings at a local level. A costing statement has been produced.
• CG175 Prostate cancer: diagnosis and treatment – Implementing the recommendations is not considered to have a significant national resource impact. The guidance is a replacement of NICE clinical guideline 58 (published in February 2008). New and updated recommendations have been included for the diagnosis and treatment of men with prostate cancer.
• CG176 Head injury – The guideline is an update of 2007’s clinical guideline 56 (published in 2007), which itself replaced clinical guideline 4 (published in 2003). The annual change in resource use per 500,000 population arising from implementing the recommendations considered in the costing analysis is estimated to be £19,700.

• TA303 teriflunomide for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis –Teriflunomide is?taken orally once daily. Most current treatments for active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis need to be injected. The annual cost of implementation, before applying for the agreed patient access scheme, is estimated at £55m for the total population of England.

Public health guidance?

• PH49 Behaviour change: individual approaches – The recommendations cover individual-level behaviour change interventions in relation to alcohol, diet, physical activity, smoking and sex. But they may also apply to other behaviours that affect people’s health. All the recommendations are expected to raise efficiency and reduce duplication of effort and resources across the public sector, in addition to helping people improve their health.

Medical technology?

• MTG16 E-vita open plus for treating complex aneurysms and dissections of the thoracic aorta – The guidance is not expected to have a big impact on NHS resources as the number of people having the procedure each year is low (50-100 people).

NICE update was prepared by Stephen Brookfield, (senior costing analyst) at NICE