A new clinical guideline on preoperative tests is published today (6 April), which sets out best practice for healthcare professionals in the use of routine preoperative tests before elective surgery. It was commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and developed by the National Clinical Guideline Centre (NCGC) which is hosted by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
Excessive preoperative testing is a concern in the NHS as it can cause delays, unnecessary and costly treatments, and anxiety for patients. The NHS in England completed 10.6 million operations in 2012/13 compared with 6.61 million in 2002/03 (an increase of 60%) so even a small percentage of unnecessary preoperative testing can affect a large number of people.
The guideline:
- updates and replaces the 2003 NICE guideline on preoperative tests
- includes new recommendations for resting echocardiography and the HbA1c test (used for diagnosing diabetes and monitoring blood sugar levels), which weren’t included in the 2003 guideline
- now covers people with diabetes and obesity comorbidities as well as those with cardiovascular, respiratory and renal comorbidities
- makes recommendations on communication and considering existing medicines.
The recommendations and full guideline are available now on the NICE website.