NICE quality standards
NICE quality standards are a set of specific, concise statements and associated measures. They set out aspirational, but achievable, markers of high-quality, cost-effective patient care, covering the treatment and prevention of different diseases and conditions.
Derived from the best available evidence such as NICE guidance and other evidence sources accredited by NHS Evidence, they are developed independently by NICE, in collaboration with NHS and social care professionals, their partners and service users, and address three dimensions of quality:
- clinical effectiveness
- patient safety and
- patient experience.
NICE quality standards are central to supporting the Government's vision for an NHS focussed on delivering the best possible outcomes for patients, as detailed in the 2010 NHS White Paper Equity and Excellence - Liberating the NHS.
Quality standards will be reflected in the new Commissioning Outcomes Framework and will inform payment mechanisms and incentive schemes such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) Payment Framework.
NICE quality standards enable:
- Health and social care professionals to make decisions about care based on the latest evidence and best practice.
- Patients and carers to understand what service they should expect from their health and social care provider.
- Service providers to quickly and easily examine the clinical performance of their organisation and assess the standards of care they provide
- Commissioners to be confident that the services they are purchasing are high quality and cost effective
More information about NICE quality standards
Quality standards library
In March 2012, the Department of Health referred a library of quality standard topics to NICE for development. The full list can be found here.
Published quality standards
Quality standards in development
View NICE quality standards currently in development.
Social care quality standards
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 sets out a new responsibility for NICE to develop quality standards and other guidance for social care in England.
As part of our preparation for taking on this new role in April 2013, the Department of Health has asked NICE to run a pilot programme for developing social care quality standards using two topics.
More information on this pilot programme of work is available.
This page was last updated: 21 May 2012
