ABSTRACT
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was established in 1999 to advise, inter alia, on the use of new and established interventions in the National Health Service (NHS). Members of NICE's advisory bodies are appointed, in large part, for their ability to examine the scientific evidence and make scientific judgements. The critical requirement to elicit the public's social values was appreciated by NICE's Board at the time it was formed. The Board recognised that more participants than are customarily used in citizens' juries would be needed if the Council was to more accurately represent the adult population of England and Wales. The Council would thus reflect the attitudes of the general public rather than those with professional knowledge and experience of healthcare and the NHS. The Council's conclusions would then be presented as a formal report to the Board. The Board was anxious to avoid contaminating members' views with its own prejudices.
