Qualifying Statements
This guidance represents the view of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which was arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. Healthcare professionals are expected to take it fully into account when exercising their clinical judgement. However, the guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, and informed by the summaries of product characteristics of any drugs.
Implementation of this guidance is the responsibility of local commissioners and/or providers. Commissioners and providers are reminded that it is their responsibility to implement the guidance, in their local context, in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. Nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.
Treatment and care should take into account individual needs and preferences. Patients should have the opportunity to make informed decisions about their care and treatment, in partnership with their healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals should follow the Department of Health's advice on consent External Web Site Policy. If someone does not have capacity to make decisions, healthcare professionals should follow the code of practice that accompanies the Mental Capacity Act External Web Site Policy and the supplementary code of practice on deprivation of liberty safeguards External Web Site Policy.
NICE has produced guidance on the components of good patient experience in adult NHS services. All healthcare professionals should follow the recommendations in NICE's guidance on patient experience in adult NHS services External Web Site Policy.
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Implementation of the Guideline
Description of Implementation Strategy
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed tools to help organisations implement this guidance (see http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg188 External Web Site Policy; see also the "Availability of Companion Documents" field).
Key Priorities for Implementation
The following recommendations have been identified as priorities for implementation.
Reassure people with asymptomatic gallbladder stones found in a normal gallbladder and normal biliary tree that they do not need treatment unless they develop symptoms.
Offer early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (to be carried out within 1 week of diagnosis) to people with acute cholecystitis.
Reconsider laparoscopic cholecystectomy for people who have had percutaneous cholecystostomy once they are well enough for surgery.
Clear the bile duct:
Surgically at the time of laparoscopic cholecystectomy or
With endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) before or at the time of laparoscopic cholecystectomy
If the bile duct cannot be cleared with ERCP, use biliary stenting to achieve biliary drainage only as a temporary measure until definitive endoscopic or surgical clearance.
Implementation Tools
Audit Criteria/Indicators
Clinical Algorithm
Foreign Language Translations
Mobile Device Resources
Patient Resources
Resources
For information about availability, see the Availability of Companion Documents and Patient Resources fields below.