NICE guidelines aren't a handbook for general good behaviour, but are issued by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (hence the 'NICE') as a guide on ow different health conditions should be treated - and set out the most effective treatments which they recommend should be offered. The new NICE guidelines on treatment for schizophrenia were published in March 2009. Rethink has produced a guide on changes from when the guidance was last published, which include: - The guidelines no longer recommend that newer, atypical antipsychotics are prescribed over older ones. Instead, they say that a choice of medication should be offered to the service user, following a discussion about possible side effects. - The new guidelines also recommend that the service user should be offered 10 sessions of CBT and possible family therapy. - GPs are also required to offer annual physical health checks to people with schizophrenia and the results should be shared with their ...
We are a volunteer run support group for anyone in Manchester who is affected by severe mental illness, whether as a carer or service user. We are affiliated to the national charity Rethink Mental Illness.