Commissioning Guides

The British Orthopaedic Association published in 2017 four  NICE-accredited commissioning guides with the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) and relevant Specialist Societies. These guides set out best practice care pathways to assist Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in designing optimal care for their populations. The guides, which can be found below, are:

• Pain Arising from the Hip in Adults
• Painful Deformed Great Toe in Adults
• Painful Osteoarthritis of the Knee
• Treatment of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

This page additionally provides downloadable copies of eight further Commissioning documents for orthopaedics regarding spine, shoulder/elbow and foot/ankle surgery. (These are either not NICE-accredited or were NICE accredited at the time of publication but are due to be updated.)

• Hindfoot Commissioning Guideline (BOFAS)
• Ganglion Cyst Commissioning Guideline (BOFAS)
• Flat foot Commissioning Guideline (BOFAS)
• Subacromial shoulder pain (NICE-accredited as at 2014)
• Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability: BESS/BOA Patient Pathway - 2015
• Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis BESS/BOA Patient Care Pathways 2015
• Frozen Shoulder BESS/BOA Patient Care Pathways
• National Low Back and Radicular Pain Pathway 2017 

We encourage commissioners to consider these guides carefully and to promote their adoption wherever appropriate with local Clinical Commissioning Groups. The use of these guides will assist Clinical Commissioning Groups to deliver the best possible care in each of these pathways.

BOA/RCS/Specialist Society jointly published NICE-Accredited Commissioning Guides

Each of the commissioning guides was NICE-accredited according to a process formally overseen by the RCS that consisted of a formal literature search and review, discussion by an expert Guideline Development Group, public consultation, and peer review. We are extremely grateful to all those involved in the rigorous development and accreditation processes. The use of these guides will assist CCGs in delivering the best possible care for patients in each of these pathways and we encourage commissioners to consider these guides in the design of care for their local populations.