NICE has published six new commissioning guides

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published six new commissioning guides to help the NHS in England effectively commission evidence-based care for patients. The guides cover services for:

• otitis media with effusion
• patient education for people with type 2 diabetes
• diagnosis and initial management of stroke
• diagnosis and initial management of transient ischaemic attack
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults and young people in transition
• insulin pump therapy.

Each commissioning guide signposts and provides topic-specific information on key clinical and service-related issues to consider during the commissioning process. They also offer an indicative benchmark of activity to help primary care trust and practice-based commissioners determine the level of service needed locally.

To access the guides go to: www.nice.org.uk/CommissioningGuides. Ideas for future topic specific guides can be emailed to commissioningguides@nice.org.uk
For more information call Kristin O’Leary on 0161 870 3138 or email kristin.oleary@nice.org.uk.

Diabetes in the NHS: Commissioning and providing specialist services

Diabetes has come a long way since the publication of the National Service Framework (NSF). Self management is now recognised as the key to improved health outcomes, but people with diabetes also need the active support of organised, proactive and expert health, community and social services.

This small booklet aims to address this issue by providing details of the improved pathways that can be designed for people with diabetes, the governance issues that can be addressed by PCTs and the money the can be saved by acute trusts and commissioners, if the expertise of consultant diabetologists and the teams they work with is used to the full.

(Published September 2007, 26 pages)

Two new tools to help diabetes networks develop and improve their services

Two new tools to help diabetes networks develop and improve their services have been released by the National Diabetes Support Team (NDST). Developing a Diabetes Service: Using the Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit provides a systematic approach for everyone involved in diabetes networks on how to use the Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit. The second document is a supplement to the NDST's popular Beyond Boundaries Network Guide. Workforce Planning and Design offers step by step guidance for diabetes networks on workforce development.

(Published September 2007)

Working together for better diabetes care

The national director for diabetes sets out how services are changing to meet the needs of patients, and how they need to change in the future. Clinicians in primary and secondary care need to work together and work in partnership with patients to improve care for people with diabetes.

(Published May 2007, 16 pages)