A commitment to reducing health inequalities is enshrined in our principles, our processes and our ethos. This is a longstanding focus. The NICE’s 5-year strategy, launched this April, outlines a renewed determination to prioritise our work to reduce health inequalities.

This session will provide an overview of how NICE considers health inequalities as part of guidance development, including some of the projects we have underway to ensure that we understand the needs of local systems and reflect those needs in our prioritisation and approach.

The session will also include a focus on our public involvement work including a new programme, NICE Listens, and how this will be integrated into our thinking and action on health inequalities. There will also be some examples of how NICE guidance is being used by the health and care system to reduce health inequalities and signposting to some useful NICE resources including those to support community engagement and shared decision making.

This session forms part of the Protecting Health, Improving Health feature zone, which is supported by NHS SCW.