At PTSD UK, we do many things to help support people affected by PTSD and C-PTSD, but we’re always striving to make a real, actionable and tangible difference on a wider scale. We want to get the support in place, before we’re even needed!

We’re so proud that we’ve been selected to be a stakeholder organisation in the creation of a variety of NICE guidelines for various conditions related to PTSD and C-PTSD.

The NHS receives its national guidance on treatments and care from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This internationally respected independent organisation develops guidelines for use in the healthcare system.

NICE clinical guidelines, based on the best evidence available, are designed to help and support healthcare professionals at work and to make the treatment process easier for all concerned. Clinical guidelines fulfil many roles in the healthcare system. Among other things, they should:

• Give healthcare professionals recommendations for the best treatment of patients.
• Help to develop standards for assessing healthcare professionals’ clinical practices.
• Be used in the process of education and training healthcare professionals.
• Enable patients to make better decisions from an informed position.
• Improve communication between patients and healthcare professionals.

Who are the guidelines for?

Officially, due to the varying healthcare systems used in the devolved areas of the UK, NICE guidelines are used only in England. However, there are a number of agreements in place between organisations in the constituent countries. This means that some NICE guidelines are also followed in the other parts of the UK: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is no standard, across-the-board rule governing this. Instead, each set of guidelines must be considered on a case by case basis by the governmental organisations of these countries.

What guidelines have PTSD UK impacted?

There are a number of guidelines we’ve consulted on (or are listed as a stakeholder to consult on when the guidelines are being reviewed in the near future) including:

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: December 2018
• Self harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence: Sept 2022
• Depression in adults: treatment and management: June 2022
• Depression in adults with chronic physical health problem: recognition and management
• Antenatal care
• Cardiovascular disease: identifying and supporting
• Cardiovascular disease prevention
• Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis
• Preterm labour and birth
• Advocacy services for adults with health and social care needs
• Transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settings for adults with social care needs
• Alcohol-use disorders: prevention
• Physical health of people in prison surveillance review
• Rehabilitation after traumatic injury
• Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education: July 2022
• Mental wellbeing at work: March 2022
• Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness: March 2022
• Stroke rehabilitation in adults
• Harmful gambling: identification, assessment and management
• Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage – Medical management of miscarriage
• Bipolar disorder: assessment and management
• Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health and community settings

Being part of the creation of these guidelines for these topics is hugely important. We’ll be able to recommend better provision of services, faster access to support, early interventions, and make suggestions of how services could be better delivered to support people with PTSD or C-PTSD (in the context of the topics). With the topics we’ve already advised on, we felt we were able to make substantial, insightful recommendations, and positively impact the guidelines that were ultimately created.

We know there is a long way to go before services and treatment access is perfect for people with PTSD and C-PTSD, and we’re committed to making that change happen – but this is a step in the right direction.

“When you take one little step each day, eventually you’ll find that all of these little steps together conquered mountains”. – Nikki Banas