Twenty-eight guides for commissioning surgery have been released by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS). 

The commissioning guides were developed using a process accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 

Care pathways for patients with surgical symptoms are described in the guidelines, which then outline a best evidence approach to tackling common issues. 

The guidelines are supplemented by free data tools to allow clinical commissioning groups to benchmark care. 

An RCS statement reads: "The commissioning guides are designed to assist clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to make decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances and fulfil their obligation to commission healthcare for their population that meets the five domains in the NHS Outcomes Framework. 

"The high value care pathways contained within each commissioning guide aims to provide patients, the public, health and social care professionals, commissioners and service providers with a clear description of what constitutes a high quality service."

The guidelines are available to view on the RCS website.