NICE update: helping to detect neurological conditions

May saw the publication of six clinical guidelines, unusually outnumbering the number of technology appraisals, writes Gary Shield.

NICE’s new guideline on Suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral (NG127) is the first to offer comprehensive information on neurological conditions to help non-specialist healthcare professionals identify people who should be referred for specialist assessment and care.

The guideline aims to make a difference to anyone who might have a neurological

condition by making sure:

• GPs can recognise when symptoms could have a neurological cause

• GPs and doctors in emergency units know when to refer people to a specialist

at once and when to do more tests first

• People who most need to see a specialist can see one sooner

• People are not referred to a specialist if they don’t need to be.

Where clinical practice changes as a result of this guideline, there will be no significant

change in resource use – any cost is likely to be offset by savings and benefits.

Elsewhere, NICE published new or updated guidelines on: Stroke and transient ischaemic attack in over 16s: diagnosis and initial management; Crohn’s disease: management; Ulcerative colitis: management; Prostate cancer: diagnosis and management; and Hyperparathyroidism (primary): diagnosis, assessment and initial management.

It also recommended three new technologies (TA578, TA579 and TA581) for use in the Cancer Drugs Fund, as well as medical technology MTG43 PICO negative pressure wound dressings for closed surgical incisions. Cost modelling suggests PICO negative pressure wound dressings provide extra clinical benefits at a similar overall cost compared with standard wound dressings.

A resource impact template is provided to help organisations assess the local costs and savings of using the dressings.

Gary Shield is NICE resource impact assessment manager