Annex A
NICE GUIDANCE TIMELINES
OVERVIEW
1. The Department refers two work programmes
to NICE each year, called "waves". It has worked to
standardise the procedure for referrals.
2. The time it takes for a topic to be referred,
depends greatly on when the topic enters the process. For each
wave of work two meetings of the Advisory Committee for Topic
Selection (ACTS) consider whether or not topics should be referred.
At the most, a topic takes 12 months to be referred to NICE if
it enters a wave at the earliest point, the first meeting for
that Wave of ACTS. If a topic is considered at a later point in
the wave, at the two Meeting of ACTS, then the process takes only
eight months for that topic.
3. Topics deemed suitable for referral by
ACTS are given further consideration by the Joint Planning Group
(JPG), a team consisting of senior DH officials, the National
Clinical Directors and NICE, who consider the topics suggested
in a wider strategic policy context. JPG meets twice a year, once
for each wave, during the summer and winter.
TECHNOLOGY APPRAISALS
DH Process. (Months indicate cumulative totals)
— Topics considered by one Advisory
Committee for Topic Selection (ACTS) meeting—Start.
— Topics considered by two Advisory
Committee for Topic Selection (ACTS) meeting—three months.
— Topics considered by the Joint Planning
Group (JPG)—six Months.
— Decision by Minister to Consult—five
months.
— Consultation on remit and scopes—10
months.
— Normal Referral—12 months.
NICE Process
— Topic referred from DH and Organisations
invited to participate—start.
— Submissions on appraisal received
from consultees—four months.
— Assessment Report from appraisal
committee received by NICE—seven months.
— Consultation on the Assessment Report—eight
months.
— Consultation on the Appraisal Consultation
Document—10 months.
— Final Appraisal Determination sent
to consultees for comment—12 months.
— Appeals period ends—13 months.
— Guidance published and distributed—15
months.
CLINICAL GUIDELINES
DH Process
— Topics considered by one Advisory
Committee for Topic Selection (ACTS) meeting—Start.
— Topics considered by two Advisory
Committee for Topic Selection (ACTS) meeting—three months.
— Topics considered by the Joint Planning
Group (JPG)—six Months.
— Discussion with DH policy leads on
context of topics—seven months.
— Formal Referral—11 months.
NICE Process
— Topic referred from DH and allocated
to relevant National Collaborating Centre—start.
— Final Scope of Guidance Produced—six
months.
— Guideline Development Group developed
guideline—12 to 18 months.
— First consultation on draft guideline—12-18
months.
— Second consultation on draft guideline
14-20 months.
— National Collaborating Centre works
with NICE to finalise guideline—18-24 months.
— Guidance published and distributed—20-26
months.
| 
