We are delighted to announce the launch of the public consultation on the next topic in our series of draft Clinical Commissioning Guidance documents:

·         Knees – Painful osteoarthritis of the knee

The Clinical Commissioning Guidance documents have been developed through a project led by the British Orthopaedic Association and Royal College of Surgeons (England) using a defined process, accredited by NICE.

In total, five guidance documents are now out for consultation, on the following topics:

·         Foot & Ankle - Painful deformed great toe in adults

·         Hands - Painful tingling fingers

·         Hips - Painful osteoarthritis of the hip

·         Spines - Low back pain

·        Knees – Painful osteoarthritis of the knee  (launched today)

Each guide has been put together by a dedicated guidance development group, which has representatives from Specialist Societies, primary care, physicians, commissioners and patient groups as well as other clinicians involved in the delivery of the service. In this respect, the development process is intended to produce a consensus statement from different stakeholders to define optimal commissioning of services for these conditions. The Clinical Commissioning Guidance documents are distinct from other types of guidance you may be familiar with and aim to provide information to support commissioning rather than guidance on clinical matters.

The consultation document for the painful osteoarthritis of the knee closes on 15 July 2013, and the consultation for all other guidance documents closes on 27 June 2013.

All documents for review are available here.