New Guidance
- Items will be added as published.
Major updates
To view the changes to the guidance, see the 'What's new' section of each guideline.
Influenza Treatment (Antimicrobial) | Right Decisions
- UKHSA updated national guidance on influenza treatment and prophylaxis on 4th November 2025 from which many of these changes have been taken.
- The list of patients at risk of severe influenza or hospitalisation along with examples of patients regarded as being immunosuppressed have been expanded.
- Recommendation for use of antibiotics for secondary bacterial infection in a patient with influenza should be based on clinical assessment.
- IV zanamivir has been in short supply in recent years so should only be considered if oral or enteral oseltamivir or inhaled zanamivir cannot be administered, noting the evidence for efficacy of antivirals in severe influenza is based on oseltamivir.
- NHS Highland Renal Team recommend using Renal Drug Database dosing advice for oseltamivir in renal impairment or renal replacement therapies.
- Dosing in renal impairment has been added to the guidance.
Warfarin, DOACs and antiplatelets in adults undergoing surgery or invasive procedures (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
Amendment to table: Time between administration of DOAC and performance of block/catheter insertion; and between removal of catheter and next dose of DOAC:
- Time between last dose of DOAC and catheter insertion: specific timings have been removed and replaced with statement: 'This information is currently under review. Leave at least a minimum of 48 hours (72 hours for dabigatran). If in doubt, contact consultant anaesthetist for advice.'
Acute treatment and secondary prevention of transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) and ischaemic stroke (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- From the 2nd of February 2026 patients diagnosed with a TIA or ischaemic stroke will undergo genetic testing for CYP2C19 variants, and therefore clopidogrel resistance. Patients who are identified as poor metabolisers of clopidogrel will require alternative antiplatelets to be prescribed as part of their acute and long term stroke treatment. Guidance on the prescribing of antiplatelets has been updated on TAM. Patients and prescribers will be informed of any change to treatment and their metaboliser status recorded on their records alongside allergies.
Minor updates
To view the changes to the guidance, see the 'What's new' section of each guideline.
These items will be ratified at the next TAMSG.
Refugee and Asylum seeker support (Resources) | Right Decisions
- Point of Contact details updated
- Links added: WHO, Third Sector Organisations
Hyperkalaemia: Primary Care (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Removed: Note regarding renal patients tolerance to high potassium levels.
- Reworded information re potassium-containing laxatives as a cause of hyperkalaemia acknowledging instead their potassium content: 'To note that macrogol laxatives (Laxido/Movicol) have <1mmol K+ per sachet'.
Dietetic service referral (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Removed as no longer available:Active Health — Velocity Café & Bicycle Workshop (velocitylove.co.uk)
A free and confidential one-to-one advice service for people (aged 16+) living in the NHS Highland area who would like to become more active to help their physical and/or mental health. GPs or other healthcare professional can refer, or patients can self-refer
- email address updated to: northhighlandcommunitydietetics@nhs.scot
Assessment of carotid artery stenosis following TIA and minor stroke and referral for carotid endarterectomy (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Removed retired doctors contact details
Anticoagulant switching (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- The term 'unfractionated heparin' is changed to 'heparin' as per BNF update.
Parkinson's disease (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Added: recommendation of ipratropium bromide spray for sialorrhea [off-label]
- Link to SIGN157 guideline and Annex 4
Cardiac rehabilitation (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Updated phone number for the department
- Updated CR Discharge letter/booklet
- Addition of new website link under "Patient information" section
Exercise after Stroke Pathway (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Updated from The Stroke Improvement Programme (2021) to The Stroke Improvement Programme (2024)
- Added link to The Stroke Association : www.stroke.org.uk
Rape and sexual assault (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Added: Signposting for under 16s to the national child protection guidance.
Sodium zirconium in chronic hyperkalaemia (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Prescribing guidance for SZC in chronic hyperkalaemia flow chart formatted: no changes to content.
Abnormal liver blood results referral pathway (Over 16’s) (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
High consequence infectious disease (HCID) pathway (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Minor modifications for clarity, including to action cards.
- Action card source document is now HCID-NHSH patient pathway version 1.2_210126
- HCID clinical pathway: Quick reference guide: Suspected HCID next steps: Added: 'Key personnel informed of the patient', 'See: communication cascade'. Removed: 'Arrange transfer' & duplication of information.
- Infection specialist assessment: Details added re communication with lead clinician
- Removed as duplication: 'NHS Highland triage algorithm or national resources High consequence infectious diseases (HCID) can be used to assess risk for HCID'.
- Patient designated as 'suspected HCID': next steps: Added: List of roles who have action cards. Removed as duplication: 'Roles and responsibilities'
- Section removed as duplication: 'Ongoing management of suspected HCID Roles, responsibilities and actions'
- Action Card 1: Name changed from: Suspected HCID ongoing management: Attending Health Care Professional, To: Suspected HCID ongoing management: Lead clinician for the patient (Usually GP or Consultant)
- Minor modifications made to improve the readability of the guidance:
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- Direct contact details for Argyll & Bute Infection and Control nurses have been removed. Generic contact details to be added.
- Advice regarding patient with suspected HCID using ward phone (to be wrapped in plastic) has been added.
- Advice added under 'History taking and 'remote assessment' on when to leave the pathway (if no concern re HCID).
- Additional face to face assessment information has been removed as extraneous information.
- Separate section on patient transportation removed as this information is elsewhere in the guidance.
- Section: 'Ongoing management of suspected HCID: Roles, responsibilities and actions' has been amended with explanatory text included for the terms used.
- Terms 'clean' and 'dirty' have been removed as these terms are obsolete.
Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) (Antimicrobial) | Right Decisions
- added under Duration Note section: 'Oral switch should be guided by positive Microbiology results, if available. Options given are empiric.'
- corrected dosing for CAP with history of recent foreign travel from Oral/IV azithromycin 500mg twice daily to once daily.
- added in duration section of CAP Severe Level 2 or 3 CARE: '(empiric)' after oral switch.
- added in duration section of CAP Severe in non-severe penicillin allergy: '(empiric)' after oral switch.
Prevention of skeletal-related events in cancer patients (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- The term, sodium clodronate, has been changed to clodronate disodium throughout as per BNF update.
Termination of pregnancy (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Email address on guideline updated to nhsh.unplannedpregnancy@nhs.scot
Depot and long-acting antipsychotic injections (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
Olanzapine LAI protocol has been updated.
- Section 1: Circumstances where olanzapine LAI may be considered for use in NHSH changed to include any patient transferred as continuation of treatment rather than only transfer from a medium/low secure facility
- Section 2: Authorisation process changed from IPTR to PACS as per the updated access to medicine procedure and clarity regarding what needs specified on a T3, which was confirmed by the Mental Welfare Commission in 2022.
- Section 3: New training site details following manufacturer move from Eli.Lilly to Neon HC. Bullet points added
- Section 4.1: Definition of healthcare facility expanded, as per information from the manufacturer.
- Section 4.3: Added information on what should be done if a patient refuses to stay for the three hour monitoring period and updated links to rapid tranquilisation policy and toxbase monograph.
- Appendix 1: reviewed to include the most recent data about the incidence of post injection syndrome and how this presents
Highland Eating Disorder Service (HEDS) & Medical Emergency Eating Disorder (MEED) (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Referral pathway to HEDS: Quick reference guide flow chart re-formatted
CT scanning in acute stroke patients (at home or Community Hospital) (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Admission for scan time reduced from 12 hours to 4 hours in line with Stroke Standard of 2026 Guidance. Change from Jan 2026
- Line added to now read "A CT scan is used to distinguish between ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Making this distinction is important to enable appropriate, suitability for thrombolysis / thrombectomy treatment and secondary prevention"
- Under "Referral for CT scan" option for "own transport" added.
Catheter maintenance solutions (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Catheter maintenance solutions flowchart uploaded as a printable version
Stable angina management (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Changed from: Referrals to the RACPC can be made either through CCU directly or via SCI gateway
Changed to: Referrals to the RACPC are made via SCI gateway
- Patient letter added
Heart failure (Patient information) | Right Decisions
- Links reviewed by author and updated.
Armed forces and veterans (Resources) | Right Decisions
- Added: Section on Training
- Added: Information about Veterans In-Service Injury Network
- Added: List of policy areas that the AFC duty is to be extended to.
- Updated: Veterans welfare scheme email
Silver diamine fluoride (Dental Guidelines) | Right Decisions
- Silver diamine fluoride use aligns with the SDCEP guidelines on management of dental caries in children
- Guideline reflects the use of the aqueous version of the silver diamine fluoride
- Statement added re: potassium iodide being optional to silver diamine fluoride
- Statement added: While silver diamine fluoride is an off label treatment for dental caries in the UK, it is approved for this use in other countries, which provides a stronger justification for its use.
Treatment of bacterial meningitis following admission to secondary care (Antimicrobial) | Right Decisions
- The section has been reviewed with the additional note to consider risk factors for TB meningitis and clarification of some doses, in line with BNFc.
Smoking cessation (Guidelines) | Right Decisions
Reviewed with no changes
Removed Guidance
- COVID-19: High Flow Nasal Oxygen (Raigmore Hospital) (Guidelines)
- COVID-19: Maternity and Obstetrics (Guidelines)
- COVID-19: Diabetes in Pregnancy (Guidelines)