Department of Health needs your views to improve social care

Department seeks views on NICE standards to improve quality of social care

1 February, 2013

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb, today launched a 12 week consultation to establish a full set of NICE quality standards and guidance for social care.

The Department is seeking ideas from care users, their families and carers, service commissioners, care providers and front line staff to help decide on future topics for NICE guidance and standards.

The aim is to establish a full set of NICE quality standards and guidance in order to improve the quality of social care.

Some of the potential NICE standards for discussion in the consultation include:

  • falls
  • deprivation of liberty safeguards
  • medicines management in home-based settings

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb said:

“Improving the standard and quality of care and support services is one of our top priorities. From April of next year, NICE will join us in this challenge and take on an important role in driving up the quality of care.

“That is why we have started a consultation in which everyone can have their say on which topics NICE should focus on for future work. So please do get involved.”

The role of NICE in driving up the quality of social care is outlined in The Caring for our Future White Paper.

NICE provides evidence-based guidance to support healthcare professionals and others to make sure that the care they provide is of the best possible quality and offers the best value for money. Care providers will be able to use these standards and guidance as tools to help improve their services.

The 12 week consultation ends on 26 April 2013.

You can respond to the consultation on line or download a full copy of the NICE consultation document.

If you have any questions about the consultation you can email the quality and social care team.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/nice-socialcare-2