Interventional Procedures Policy

Introduction

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is a special Health Authority funded by the Department of Health. NICE provides national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health and is responsible for the introduction of new interventional procedures. For information on how NICE develops interventional procedures guidance click here.

Advances in clinical care can often only be made by allowing the introduction of new techniques. However, patient safety must not be compromised. The Department of Health requires medical practitioners, post training, who are planning to undertake a new interventional procedure which they have not performed before within the NHS to contact NICE and seek the prior approval of the Trust’s Quality Governance Committee and Medical Director (HSC 2003/011).

Purpose

This policy is needed to enable new interventional procedures (IP) to be introduced safely and with full communication with patients and staff. This policy defines the processes to ensure that IPs undertaken, comply with NICE guidance, if it is available and where this is not available, that clear governance requirements are met. This policy will ensure that the Trust meets its legal responsibilities and provide a clear Trust-wide approach to the introduction of new interventional procedures.

Scope

This policy should be used when any clinical practitioner, no longer in a training post, is using a new procedure for the first time in their NHS clinical practice. The policy applies to all practitioners employed by Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust.

Policy Details

See also:

• Medical Devices Training for Clinical Staff
• Consent Policy
• National Guidance Monitoring Framework
• Publication and Provision of Patient Information