Current Work Programme

This table shows SIGN's current work programme. It includes new guidelines that are in development and published guidelines that are in the process of being updated. The timescales are provisional and will be revised quarterly. The table was last updated in September 2011.

Draft versions of guidelines which are currently under development or review are only available for download from the date of the National Meeting for a period of 4 weeks. These are made available as part of the open consultation process and comments are invited from any reader.

The Guideline Programme Summary is also available as a PDFfile. (2.16M) (info).

Guidelines by topic
Cancer
Topic	Status	Remit	Estimated publication date
Breast cancer	Update in progress	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on antibiotics, pre-operative chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy.	Spring 2013
Colorectal cancer	Update in progress	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on radiotherapy for rectal cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer, perioperative chemotherapy for patients with liver metastases, the use of new biological agents, new evidence in terms of lifestyle factors and chemoprevention.	Winter 2011
Cutaneous squamous cell cancer	Planned	Develop a new guideline that covers prevention, treatment and follow-up of primary and secondary cutaneous squamous cell cancer. It will be applicable in both primary and secondary care.	Summer 2014
Epithelial ovarian cancer	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on intraperitoneal chemotherapy, the role of platinum agents in first-line therapy, second-line therapy or relapsed disease,	Spring 2013
Long term cancer survivors	In development	Develop a new guideline on the follow up of patients who have survived cancer and whose risk of relapse is less than their risk from side effects of treatment.	Autumn 2012
Lung cancer	Update in progress	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy.	Autumn 2012
Oesophageal and gastric cancer	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, palliative care.	Spring 2013
Child health
Bronchiolitis in children	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on treatment of acute bronchiolitis.	Spring 2013
Rehabilitation and long term care of patients with head injury	In development	Develop a guideline that covers referral of patients from acute or primary care to specialist services, post-acute management of patients with a head injury who are in hospital, ie beyond the first 72 hours and assessment of rehabilitation needs.	Spring 2013
Dentistry
Prevention of dental caries in children	Update planned	A selective update and combining of the existing dental caries guidelines for children.	Spring 2013
Long term conditions
Chronic non-malignant pain	In development	Develop a new guideline to improve patient management in both primary and secondary care that covers investigation, referral criteria, and pain management eg pharmacological options, specialist interventions, physical therapies; and psychological strategies.	Winter 2013
Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on pharmacological management, psychological interventions for seizure frequency.	Summer 2013
Rehabilitation and long term care of patients with head injury	In development	Develop a guideline that covers referral of patients from acute or primary care to specialist services, post-acute management of patients with a head injury who are in hospital, ie beyond the first 72 hours and assessment of rehabilitation needs.	Spring 2013
Mental health
Postnatal depression	Update in progress	The current guideline is being updated to incorporate new evidence for medication, psychological interventions, service developments, the implications of the mental health act 2003 and the role of managed clinical networks.	Spring 2012
Schizophrenia	Update in progress	The existing guideline will be completely updated to cover the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of schizophrenia and related psychoses (as defined by ICD-10), spanning both primary and secondary care. The guideline will cover the management of co-morbidities, in particular, substance misuse.	Winter 2012
Orthopaedics
Osteoporosis	Update in progress	The current guideline will be completely updated to incorporate the significant advances in the management of this condition, including the arrival of new treatments.	Spring 2013
Other vascular diseases
Antithrombotic therapy	Update in progress	The current guideline is being updated to include the latest evidence.	Spring 2012

Guidelines by estimated publication date
Topic	Status	Remit	Estimated publication date
2011
Colorectal cancer	Update in progress	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on radiotherapy for rectal cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer, perioperative chemotherapy for patients with liver metastases, the use of new biological agents, new evidence in terms of lifestyle factors and chemoprevention.	Winter 2011
2012
Antithrombotic therapy	Update in progress	The current guideline is being updated to include the latest evidence.	Spring 2012
Postnatal depression	Update in progress	The current guideline is being updated to incorporate new evidence for medication, psychological interventions, service developments, the implications of the mental health act 2003 and the role of managed clinical networks.	Spring 2012
Lung cancer	Update in progress	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy.	Autumn 2012
Long term cancer survivors	In development	Develop a new guideline on the follow up of patients who have survived cancer and whose risk of relapse is less than their risk from side effects of treatment.	Autumn 2012
Schizophrenia	Update in progress	The existing guideline will be completely updated to cover the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of schizophrenia and related psychoses (as defined by ICD-10), spanning both primary and secondary care. The guideline will cover the management of co-morbidities, in particular, substance misuse.	Winter 2012
2013
Bronchiolitis in children	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on treatment of acute bronchiolitis.	Spring 2013
Rehabilitation and long term care of patients with head injury	In development	Develop a guideline that covers referral of patients from acute or primary care to specialist services, post-acute management of patients with a head injury who are in hospital, ie beyond the first 72 hours and assessment of rehabilitation needs.	Spring 2013
Epithelial ovarian cancer	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on intraperitoneal chemotherapy, the role of platinum agents in first-line therapy, second-line therapy or relapsed disease,	Spring 2013
Breast cancer	Update in progress	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on antibiotics, pre-operative chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy.	Spring 2013
Oesophageal and gastric cancer	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, palliative care.	Spring 2013
Prevention of dental caries in children	Update in progress	A selective update and combining of the existing dental caries guidelines for children. As above	Spring 2013
Osteoporosis	Update in progress	The current guideline will be completely updated to incorporate the significant advances in the management of this condition, including the arrival of new treatments.	Spring 2013
Diagnosis and management of epilepsy	Update planned	The current guideline will be updated to incorporate new evidence on pharmacological management, psychological interventions for seizure frequency.	Summer 2013
Chronic non-malignant pain	Planned	Develop a new guideline to improve patient management in both primary and secondary care that covers investigation, referral criteria, and pain management eg pharmacological options, specialist interventions, physical therapies; and psychological strategies.	Winter 2013
2014
Cutaneous squamous cell cancer	Planned	Develop a new guideline that covers prevention, treatment and follow-up of primary and secondary cutaneous squamous cell cancer. It will be applicable in both primary and secondary care.	Summer 2014