COVID-19 rapid guideline: arranging planned care in hospitals and diagnostic services

Excerpt

The purpose of this guideline is to help healthcare professionals deliver efficient planned care while minimising the risk of COVID-19 in the context of increasing or decreasing local prevalence. It also aims to help patients make decisions about their planned care.

It is for adults, young people and children in hospitals and diagnostic settings. Planned care covers elective surgery (day surgery and inpatient stays), interventional procedures, diagnostics and imaging. It does not include services where people have ongoing outpatient and day-case procedures such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and dialysis.

When using this guideline, follow the usual professional guidelines, standards and laws (including those on equalities, safeguarding, communication and mental capacity), as described in making decisions using NICE guidelines.

NICE has also produced COVID-19 rapid guidelines on delivery of radiotherapy, delivery of systemic anticancer treatments and dialysis service delivery.

This guideline is for:

1. health and care practitioners

2. health and care staff involved in planning and delivering services

3. commissioners

The recommendations bring together:

1. evidence from published literature on COVID-19 and arranging planned care

2. existing national and international guidance and policies

3. advice from specialists working in the NHS from across the UK. These include clinicians and provider organisations delivering planned care services, patients, NHS England and NHS Improvement, and Public Health England.

We developed this guideline using the interim process and methods for guidelines developed in response to health and social care emergencies. We will review and update the recommendations as the knowledge base develops.