Royal colleges have backed the current UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on preventing venous thromboembolism, saying that every hospital patient must be screened.

The Royal College of Physicians, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Nursing, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have reviewed the evidence and put out a joint position statement backing the current NICE guidelines on preventing hospital acquired venous thromboembolism.

The Royal College of Physicians said that 94% of hospital patients are now being screened for venous thromboembolism, which is encouraging, but it …