ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the principles that National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) requires all its advisory bodies to follow when applying social value judgements to the development of all forms of guidance. The principles are unusual in being the direct responsibility of NICE's Board. The chapter explains how NICE responds to comments and criticisms before describing how NICE aims to avoid discrimination and promote equality. It describes the particular considerations that apply to public health guidance and looks briefly at reducing inequalities before discussing how NICE should follow these principles. NICE subscribes to widely accepted moral principles that underpin clinical and public health practice. NICE is committed to promoting equality, eliminating unlawful discrimination and actively considering the implications of its guidance for human rights. NICE's guidance development processes should be scientifically rigorous. In 2004, NICE launched an implementation strategy to support the uptake of its guidance.
