The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), as part of its 18th Wave Work programme, has been asked by the Department of Health to develop a guideline for donor milk banks. The remit is to produce a short clinical guideline on the use of human donor breastmilk in preterm babies.
The scope of the guideline was published for consultation in November and the response is currently being evaluated. In the meantime interested professional and lay people were invited to apply for membership of the Guideline Development Group.
The guideline is due for publication in early 2010 and will provide a firm foundation for human milk banking practices in the UK. The UKAMB guidelines (Guidelines for the establishment and operation of human milk banks in the UK), published in 2003 are the current standard and are recognised throughout the world as a valuable and authoritative document. Indeed a number of national milk banking guidelines are largely based on the UKAMB document. However NICE will have access to expertise and funding that is beyond the capabilities of a small charity like UKAMB. It will ensure that up to date evidence and wide ranging expertise can be fully utilised to develop a guideline that will provide a sound basis for the expected expansion of milk banking services in the UK.
The guideline development process can be followed on the NICE website (www.NICE.org.uk). To contribute to the consultation process visit the list of stakeholder organisations and submit comments via the most appropriate stakeholder. 
