About Us
Who we are, what we do, and how we work.
Who we are and what we do.
The National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) is one of seven centres established by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS in England and Wales. Established in 2001, the NCCMH is responsible for developing mental health guidelines, and is a partnership between the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).
What guidelines can achieve.
The aims of guidelines are to bring about genuine and lasting improvements in patient care.
Well constructed and up-to-date guidelines:
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Provide recommendations for the treatment
and care of people by healthcare professionals can be used to develop standards to assess
the
clinical practice of individual healthcare
professionals can be used in the education and training of
healthcare professionals.
Help patients make informed decisions
and improve communication between the patient
and healthcare professional.
Raise the profile of research with both practitioners and the public.
How guidelines are developed.
Guidelines are based on the best available research evidence. The NCCMH establishes a Guideline Development Group (GDG) for each guideline, consisting of health and social care professionals, lay representatives, and technical experts. The GDG develops each guideline by assessing the available evidence and deriving from it a series of clinical recommendations. Research recommendations are also developed which highlight gaps in the evidence to inform future research in this area.
Go here for more information on how guidelines are produced..
