Recommendation BRIS-124: NICE to involve public, patients, professionals in clinical standards development and review.
From Bristol Heart Inquiry — Final Report, published 18 July 2001.
Recommendation
NICE should pursue vigorously its current policy of involving as wide a community as possible, including the public, patients and carers, in the work to develop and keep under review clinical standards. In particular, the special expertise of the Royal Colleges and specialist professional associations should be harnessed and supported. Account should also be taken of the expertise of the senior management of the NHS.
Government response
No government response to this recommendation is on the record yet.
Delivery
DHSC and NHS England say in progress (27 February 2026)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) adopt a principle of patient, service user, carer and public involvement in their approach to developing guidance, advice and standards.
Site note: DHSC and NHS England's own account of progress, supplied to the Thirlwall Inquiry in September 2024 and printed in the Inquiry legal team's Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version dated April 2025, published 27 February 2026). It is not a finding of the Inquiry. Their reviewed extent of implementation reads “Implemented – Ongoing”. Table row: section 6.2 No. 124, PDF page 126.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Thirlwall Inquiry legal team (15 May 2024)
The Government agreed with this recommendation.
In its January 2002 response, the Department of Health said the National Institute for Clinical Excellence actively involved a range of stakeholders via 6 national collaborating centres and a special unit to help patients and carers who wished to participate in developing guidelines, as well as seeking comments from NHS bodies on its draft recommendations.
Site note: The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team's own notes on implementation, from its Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version of 15 May 2024). The review does not colour its Extent of Implementation cell for this recommendation green; it leaves the cell uncoloured where a recommendation was rejected, where evidence of implementation was insufficient, or where steps had been taken but implementation was not yet complete. Table row: section 6.2 No. 124, PDF page 112.
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- DHSC and NHS England
Delivery statement - Thirlwall Inquiry legal team
Finding