Review of the National Autism Strategy 'Think Autism': call for evidence

In April 2014 the government published ‘Think Autism’, a strategy for meeting the needs of autistic adults in England. The strategy supports the Autism Act 2009. This year the Department of Health and Social Care, working with the Department for Education, will review the strategy and extend it to cover children as well as adults  Click here to read further.

Avelumab for treating metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma [TA 517]

New:  Technology appraisal guidance


Evidence-based recommendations on avelumab (Bavencio) for treating metastatic (secondary) Merkel cell carcinoma in adults.


https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta517

Pancreatic cancer in adults: diagnosis and management [NG85]

New: Nice Guideline


This guideline covers diagnosing and managing pancreatic cancer in adults aged 18 and over. It aims to improve care by ensuring quicker and more accurate diagnosis, and by specifying the most effective treatments for people depending on how advanced their cancer is.

1.1 Diagnosis

1.2 Specialist pancreatic multidisciplinary teams

1.3 Staging

1.4 Psychological support

1.5 Pain management

1.6 Nutritional management

1.7 Relieving biliary and duodenal obstruction

1.8 Managing resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

1.9 Managing unresectable pancreatic cancer

This quality standard covers the management of Parkinson’s disease in adults. It does not include treatment of parkinsonism not caused by Parkinson’s disease. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.[QS164]

New: Quality standard


This quality standard covers the management of Parkinson’s disease in adults. It does not include treatment of parkinsonism not caused by Parkinson’s disease. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

Safeguarding adults protocol: pressure ulcers and the interface with a safeguarding enquiry

This guidance from the Chief Social Worker helps practitioners and managers across health and care organisations to provide caring and quick responses to people at risk of developing pressure ulcers.

Growing innovative models of health, care and support for adults

This briefing from SCIE explains that innovative, often small-scale models of health, social care and support for adults could be scaled up to benefit as many people as possible. It makes a number of recommendations for the Government and national partners

Cataracts in adults: management [NG 77]

New Guidance from NICE:

This guideline covers managing cataracts in adults aged 18 and over.  It aims to improve care before, during and after cataract surgery by optimising service organisation, referral and surgical management, and reducing complications. It further aims to improve the availability of information for people with cataracts before, during and after cataract surgery.

1.1 Patient information

1.2 Referral for cataract surgery

1.3 Preoperative assessment and biometry

1.4 Intraocular lens selection

1.5 Preventing wrong lens implant errors

1.6 Surgical timing and technique

1.7 Anaesthesia

1.8 Preventing and managing complications

1.9 Postoperative assessment

Immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplant in adults

New Guidance from NICE:

Evidence-based recommendations on immunosuppressive therapies for preventing kidney rejection in children and young people. The therapies are basiliximab (Simulect), immediate-release tacrolimus (Adoport, Capexion, Modigraf, Prograf, Tacni, Vivadex), mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept and non-branded versions), rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin (Thymoglobuline), prolonged-release tacrolimus (Advagraf, Envarsus), mycophenolate sodium (Myfortic, Ceptava), sirolimus (Rapamune), everolimus (Certican) and belatacept (Nulojix).

This guidance makes recommendations on using basiliximab, rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin, tacrolimus (immediate-release and prolonged-release), mycophenolate mofetil, mycophenolate sodium, sirolimus, everolimus and belatacept after kidney transplant in children and young people. The recommendations apply only to the initial immunosuppressive therapy (induction and maintenance therapy) started around the time of kidney transplant.
It was outside the scope of the appraisal to make recommendations on using azathioprine or corticosteroids after kidney transplant in children and young people.
Under an exceptional directive from the Department of Health, the appraisal committee was allowed to make recommendations about using drugs outside the terms of their marketing authorisations if there was compelling evidence of their safety and effectiveness.