Over the last few months, the BSI-CIPN Steering Group has been focusing efforts on strategic planning and setting a clear direction for the network. A number of priority areas and ambitious new potential projects have been identified. One clear priority that has come to the fore is to take forward the work of a newly established Clinical Guidelines Group.
Clinical guidelines are core to standardising and improving quality, supporting the translation of research advances into clinical practice, and ensuring clinicians can access the latest expert consensus on diagnostics, treatment and care.
The group will convene BSI-CIPN members and others working in clinical immunology to understand areas of need for new or improved guidance, and to create patient-centred, evidence-based guidelines to improve the standard and consistency of clinical care.
So far, we have advertised and recruited to the group, and have recently held the first meeting to get this exciting work underway. Thank you to all those who applied to be part of this work. The group is chaired by BSI-CIPN Steering Group member, Alex Richter, Professor of Clinical Immunology and Director of the Clinical Immunology Service at the University of Birmingham. Other members have a wide range of expertise, from paediatric immunology to infectious disease, in addition to roles representing pharmacy, healthcare science, nursing and patients.
Key priorities
The first meeting took place in April, and the group agreed some core areas for their work, including:
- Assessing existing clinical guidelines relevant to clinical immunology
- Identifying where the BSI-CIPN can endorse existing guidelines, or those currently in development
- Carrying out a gap analysis to understand where new guidance is needed
- Working with other organisations on developing new guidelines where needed
The group will look to do this by:
- Working with NICE, the Medical Royal Colleges, and other key national stakeholders
- Working with colleagues nationally and internationally where appropriate
The group will report into the BSI-CIPN Steering Group, and we will keep the wider membership updated as the work gets underway. If you would like to know more, please contact Rosanna Flury.