We are an umbrella for 3 organisations that also work to improve the quality of healthcare in Scotland. These are SMC, SIGN and the Scottish Health Council.
Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC)
SMC advises NHSScotland on the clinical and cost effectiveness of:
- all newly licensed medicines
- all new formulations of existing medicines
- all new conditions that the medicines will treat.
SMC is very much part of NHSScotland and most of its 34 members are healthcare professionals representing Scotland's health boards. Because all specialty areas cannot be represented on its membership, SMC relies on over 180 experts to help inform their decisions. Their membership also reflects other key stakeholders, particularly the pharmaceutical industry and patients.
Access SMC’s website
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)
SIGN became part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland in 2005. SIGN’s aim is to improve the quality of healthcare for patients by promoting consistence in clinical practice and clinical outcome. Its guidelines contain recommendations for effective practice based on current evidence.
SIGN guidelines are developed by multidisciplinary working groups with representation from across Scotland, including healthcare professionals, managers, researchers and patients. The guideline development groups are selected in consultation with the member organisations of SIGN.
Scottish Health Council
The Scottish Health Council was established by the Scottish Executive to ensure that the views of patients and the public are properly taken into account by Health Boards. Rather than speak on behalf of patients and the public, the Council makes sure that they have the chance to give their own views to health boards and that those views are properly taken into account.
The Scottish Health Council assesses health boards’ inclusion of patients in decisions about health services and shares examples of best practice in public involvement.