New NICE perioperative care quality standard strengthens recognition of communication needs

‘Perioperative care in adults’ sets out priority areas for improving the quality of care before, during and after surgery. In our consultation response, we called for greater recognition of adults with communication disability, difficulty and difference, as well as the importance of accessible communication in supporting informed shared decision making.

We are pleased that the final quality standard reflects several of the RCSLT’s recommendations, including:

• Recognition of communication needs in the Equality and Health Inequalities Assessment, with adults with communication needs now identified alongside other groups who may require additional support.
• Quality Statement 1 now specifically refers to adults with communication or cognitive difficulties in the audience descriptors for perioperative care teams, helping to ensure these individuals receive appropriate support and opportunities for shared decision making.
• Quality Statement 4 has been strengthened to emphasise communicating in a clear and accessible way that takes account of each person’s needs and preferences when discussing clinical assessment, risks and treatment options before surgery.
• Quality Statement 5 now places greater emphasis on providing clear, accessible and evidence-based information through an individualised approach that reflects people’s preferences and co-existing conditions.

These changes strengthen the recognition of communication needs throughout perioperative care and reinforce the importance of accessible information and communication support. They also help ensure that adults can understand information about their care, express their preferences, and participate meaningfully in decisions about their treatment.

During the consultation, the RCSLT highlighted that communication needs can exist independently of learning disability or cognitive impairment and should be recognised as a key equality consideration. We also called for accessible communication to be embedded throughout the perioperative pathway to support informed shared decision making.

The RCSLT hopes the new quality standard will support more accessible, person-centred perioperative care and help ensure that adults receive information and support in ways that meet their individual communication needs.