A decision has been made to retire interim clinical guidance that was published in December 2022, and for clinicians to be advised to follow the NICE guideline, Sore throat (acute): antimicrobial prescribing.
This decision has been endorsed by Royal College of Emergency Medicine, RCPCH, Royal College of General Practitioners and NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
Clinicians should revert to this NICE guideline for the management of sore throat, but can continue to be alert to the severe complications of group A Strep and maintain a high degree of clinical suspicion when assessing patients, particularly those with preceding viral infection (including chickenpox) or close contacts of scarlet fever/iGAS.
NHS England, UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) and relevant bodies will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate this change and any further changes, if required.