NICE has announced the merger of four National Collaborating Centres (NCCs) to create the National Clinical Guideline Centre (NCGC), which will be the largest clinical guideline centre in the UK. The merger, to be launched officially on 1st April 2009, aims to create an organisation that will gain an international reputation for developing high quality and clinically relevant guidance.

Funded by NICE and hosted by the Royal College of Physicians, the NCGC will replace the NCCs for Acute Conditions (based at the Royal College of Surgeons), Chronic Conditions (based at the RCP), Nursing and Supportive Care (based at the Royal College of Nursing), and Primary Care (based at the Royal College of General Practitioners).  All four established Royal Colleges will contribute to the governance of the new centre.