National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
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Introduction - What Is it?
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an NHS body that is responsible for setting down guidance on specific kinds of treatment and care for people using the NHS in England and Wales. Although it is funded and managed by the Department of Health, it is supposed to be independent: the government can tell it what kinds of treatment it should consider and issue guidance on, but has no power to influence their findings (aside from its contributions to the consultation process: see below). Crucially, once NICE has issued guidance on a particular issue, the Department of Health has no discretion to alter or reject the recommendations, and they should be followed throughout the NHS. The NHS has a legal obligation to provide funding and resources for the medicines and treatments NICE says should be available.