Background

The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline for the 'Identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH)' in August 2008. For more information about the NICE guidelines please click here. HEART UK is committed to supporting implementation of the NICE FH guideline to ensure that people at risk and all of their family members are identified and treated and necessary.

Situation update April 2010

HEART UK believes that regional and local support is required to ensure effective implementation of the NICE FH Guideline. Clarity regarding the commissioning pathway for this guideline and the optimal care pathway for those identified at risk is required. Improved education and awareness among health professionals is also needed. What is clear is that implementation of the guideline at a local/regional level and ultimately nationally cannot be achieved without specialist and PCT commissioning support. For this reason, HEART UK has developed its FH Toolkit and is holding regional and national events to draw attention to the guideline.

Charity action on FH

The charity has formed an FH Guideline Implementation Team (FHGIT) chaired by Dr Jonathan Morrell GP to lead activities to support implementation of the guideline including:

• identifying challenges and risks in the implementation of the NICE Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Guideline
• proposing solutions and incorporating these into a FH Guideline Implementation Toolkit
• supporting commissioning and delivery of services.

Dr Morrell and Dr Neely recently presented the NICE FH guideline to the Cardiovascular Network Leads at a meeting hosted by the Department of Health and NHS Improvement. This presentation is available to view here.

HEART UK FHGIT toolkit materials and more resources will be available on this web-page shortly.

Implementing the NICE Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Guideline in the North West
Held on 13 October 2009 in Salford, this meeting aimed to explain FH, its prevalence, and the NICE Guideline on FH. The day also aimed to provide people in the North West with a forum for discussion about enhancing systematic, coordinated FH services in the region in line with the NICE Guideline. Click here to view agenda and presentations. Click here to download the agenda.

To download a presentation please click on the link below.

1. Key elements of the NICE FH guideline and HEART UK FHGIT activities.
Dr Jonathan Morrell. > Click to download

2. FH guidelines in practice: findings from DH pilot and RCP audit.
Professor Steve Humphries. > Click to download

3. Preparing a commissioning bid for the FH guideline: the NE experience.
Dr Michael Wright. > Click to download

4. FH database management: the Welsh experience.
Dr Yee Ping Teoh and Kate Haralambos. > Click to download

5. The patient experience: cascade testing in action.
Kenneth Henthorn and Dr Dermot Neely. > Click to download

Implementing the NICE FH Guideline in England
This stakeholder conference took place on 25 January 2010 in London to advance the implementation of NICE’s 2008 clinical guideline for the ‘Identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia’. Professor Roger Boyle, National Director for Heart Disease and Stroke, launched HEART UK’s FH Toolkit at the event. Click here to view agenda and presentations.

To download a presentation please click on the link below.

Conference Programme
> Click to download

1. Key elements of the NICE FH guideline and HEART UK FHGIT activities.
Dr Jonathan Morrell. > Click to download

2. FH guidelines in practice: cost analysis of cascade testing and findings from DH pilot and RCP audit.
Professor Steve Humphries. > Click to download

3. Introduction to the HEART UK FH Toolkit.
Dr Jonathan Morrell and Dr Dermot Neely. > Click to download

4. The Wales FH cascade testing initiative.
Dr Ian McDowell. > Click to download

5. Developing FH patient pathways in Scotland.
Dr Bill Simpson. > Click to download

6. The patient experience: cascade testing in action.
Mr John Moore and Dr Devi Nair. > Click to download

7. Working collaboratively to commission FH services in the North West.
Dr Ian Ellis. > Click to download

8. Developing FH services across Yorkshire and The Humber.
Mr Ged Oliver. > Click to download

9. Developing FH services in South West and South East London.
Dr Anthony Wierzbicki. > Click to download

10. Facilitated workshop summary – Identifying and developing optimal local care pathways and commissioning FH services in your region
> Click to download