FOI 2026/1764

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information regarding the governance and systemic application of NICE PTSD standards.

Please provide the following information:

1. Clinical Audit: Please provide the date and a summary of the findings from the last clinical audit conducted to measure compliance with NICE [NG116] for PTSD.

2. Gap Analysis: Has the ICB or Trust completed a formal ‘Gap Analysis’ against the NICE PTSD Quality Standards within the last three years? If so, please provide the identified areas of non-compliance.

3. Active Outreach Postvention: In line with NICE recommendations for managing traumatic stress following a tragedy, does the ICB commission a specific ‘Active Outreach’ pathway for those bereaved by suicide to prevent the onset of PTSD?

I would prefer to receive the information electronically. Please acknowledge receipt of this request and provide the requested information within the statutory 20 working day deadline.

1. NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (NHS GM) does not itself directly provide clinical services and therefore does not undertake provider-level clinical audits against NICE guidance, including NICE NG116.

Responsibility for undertaking clinical audit activity in relation to NICE guidance sits primarily with the relevant NHS provider organisations delivering clinical care, as part of their local clinical governance and quality assurance arrangements.

NHS GM has not undertaken a system-wide clinical audit specifically measuring compliance against NICE NG116 for PTSD.

As such, NHS GM does not hold a recorded date for a formal ICB-led clinical audit against NICE NG116. The ICB also does not hold a summary of findings from such an audit.

You may wish to contact relevant NHS provider organisations within Greater Manchester directly, as they may hold information relating to local clinical audits undertaken within their services.

2. NHS GM has not completed a formal system-wide gap analysis specifically against the NICE PTSD Quality Standards within the last three years.

As with clinical audit activity, assessment of operational compliance with NICE guidance and associated quality standards is undertaken by provider organisations through their own governance, quality improvement, and service development processes. Within Greater Manchester, this is delivered by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust (PCFT).

NHS GM therefore does not hold recorded information identifying system-wide areas of non-compliance arising from a formal PTSD-specific NICE quality standards gap analysis.

Where quality, performance, or pathway issues are identified through routine commissioning and quality oversight processes, these are managed through ongoing engagement with providers and service improvement activity.

3. NHS GM does not currently commission a specific ‘Active Outreach’ postvention pathway for individuals bereaved by suicide for the purpose of preventing the onset of PTSD.

Accordingly, NHS GM has not undertaken formal mapping of such a service against NICE recommendations relating to traumatic stress following bereavement or major incidents.

NHS GM does commission and support broader bereavement, mental health, crisis support, and voluntary sector services which provide support to individuals affected by suicide bereavement; however, there is no dedicated commissioned Active Outreach postvention pathway in place at the time of this response.