Podcast - NICE News - February 2026

The video version of this podcast can be found here: · https://youtu.be/YX_YmP-yRfMThis episode makes reference to guidelines produced by the "National Institute for Health and Care Excellence" in the UK, also referred to as "NICE". The content on this channel reflects my professional interpretation/summary of the guidance and I am in no way affiliated with, employed by or funded/sponsored by NICE.NICE stands for "National Institute for Health and Care Excellence" and is an independent organization within the UK healthcare system that produces evidence-based guidelines and recommendations to help healthcare professionals deliver the best possible care to patients, particularly within the NHS (National Health Service) by assessing new health technologies and treatments and determining their cost-effectiveness; essentially guiding best practices for patient care across the country.My name is Fernando Florido and I am a General Practitioner in the United Kingdom. In this episode I go through new and updated recommendations published in February 2026 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), focusing on those that are relevant to Primary Care only. I am not giving medical advice; this video is intended for health care professionals, it is only my summary and my interpretation of the guidelines and you must use your clinical judgement. Disclaimer:The Video Content on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this YouTube channel. The statements made throughout this video are not to be used or relied on to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent health conditions. In addition, transmission of this Content is not intended to create, and receipt by you does not constitute, a physician-patient relationship with Dr Fernando Florido, his employees, agents, independent contractors, or anyone acting on behalf of Dr Fernando Florido. Intro / outro music: Track: Halfway Through — Broke In Summer [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/aBGk6aJM3IU Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/halfway-through There is a podcast version of this and other videos that you can access here: Primary Care guidelines podcast: · Redcircle: https://redcircle.com/shows/primary-care-guidelines· Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5BmqS0Ol16oQ7Kr1WYzupK· Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/primary-care-guidelines/id1608821148 There is a YouTube version of this and other videos that you can access here: The Practical GP YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@practicalgp?si=ecJGF5QCuMLQ6hrk The Full NICE News bulletin for February 2026 can be found here: · https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/published?from=2026-02-01&to=2026-02-28&ndt=Guidance&ndt=Quality+standardThe updated guideline on Type 2 diabetes in adults: management [NG28] can be found here:· https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28TranscriptIf you are listening to this podcast on YouTube, for a better experience, switch to the video version. The link is in the top right corner of the video and in the episode description.Hello and welcome! I’m Fernando, a GP in the UK. In today’s episode, we’ll look at the NICE updates published in February 2026, focusing on what is relevant in Primary Care only. This month there is just one updated guideline relevant to us, but it’s a major one: type 2 diabetes.A few months ago we reviewed the draft version of the guideline. Now that the final version has been published, over the next few weeks I’ll be creating separate episodes covering the different sections in more depth.So today, I’ll just give you an overview, highlighting the differences between the draft recommendations and the final version.Right, let’s jump into it.Firstly, let’s have a look at the first line treatment in people with no relevant comorbidities.In the draft guideline, NICE recommended starting metformin plus an SGLT2 inhibitor from the outset, with SGLT2 monotherapy if metformin was not tolerated.The final guideline confirms this, but now specifies that patients should be started on modified release metformin rather than just metformin.This change applies throughout the guideline. Wherever standard release metformin was previously recommended, it now says modified release metformin.Is this the death of the standard release preparation? Possibly in the long term. Anyone starting treatment should be on the modified release version, so numbers on standard release metformin will gradually fall. However, NICE also states that patients already on ...