About NICE
NICE is tasked with providing guidance on current best practice in health and social care, including public health, to the NHS in England and Wales.
As of April 2013, NICE is a Non Departmental Public Body. At this time they took on responsibility for developing guidance in social care, and their name changed to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to reflect their new responsibilities.
DoH Links With NICE
The DoH has a formal link with the Institute under which NICE guidance, published from 1 July 2006, is reviewed locally for its applicability to Northern Ireland and, where found to be applicable, is endorsed by the DoH for implementation in the HSC.
DoH has currently reviews and endorses a number of types of NICE guidance. Details of endorsed guidance, and the processes through which they are endorsed, can be found using the following links:
DoH are also participants in the NICE Interventional Procedures Programme. Further information on this can be found on the Interventional Procedures Programme page