Quality Standards Process Guide
Updated version published 1 April 2014
This version has been amended slightly to reflect a minor change to
the way that quality standards are developed in light of the recent
Francis Inquiry Report and subsequent government response.
The Francis Inquiry Report recommended that there should be an
integrated hierarchy of standards of service across the NHS which
should be divided into fundamental standards of minimum safety and
quality, enhanced quality standards and developmental standards. In
the government's response, it was stated that enhanced quality
standards are set out within the current NICE quality standards,
which in future will also specify developmental standards.
The Care Quality Commission will be responsible for the setting of
fundamental standards.Therefore, in future NICE quality standards
may contain both enhanced and developmental statements. Generally,
quality statements will continue to be enhanced statements
describing high-priority areas for quality improvement which are
aspirational (they describe high-quality care or service provision)
but achievable. However on occasion quality statements may be
considered to be developmental in nature if they set out emergent
areas of practice that have the potential to lead to wide-spread
benefits in improving outcomes over time, but which require
significant specific and significant changes to be put in
place.Stakeholders will be able to submit potential emergent areas
of practice during the topic engagement exercise which takes place
at the start of the quality standards development process for
consideration by the Quality Standards Advisory Committee
(QSAC).
For further information, and to view the amended process guide,
please visit the
NICE website