PCTs ignore NICE rulings.(Primary Care Trust)(National Institute for Clinical Excellence)(Brief Article)

PCTs in some areas of England are failing to implement NICE guidance, according to a report by a public spending watchdog.

In its report 'Managing the financial implications of NICE guidance', the Audit Commission identified 'particular weaknesses' in the implementation of clinical guidelines, such as those for the treatment of heart failure and diabetes.

It warned that unless financial management on the part of PCTs and hospital trusts improved, inequalities in the quality of care across the NHS would remain.

Although technology appraisals were followed more consistently than clinical guidelines, three quarters of NHS bodies failed to implement …