NHS Breaching their own Constitution Principles? - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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NHS Breaching their own Constitution Principles?

Pamela0106 profile image
11 Replies

By allowing Concordia to abuse its dominant position in the supply of T3, has the NHS failed to uphold a key principle in its own constitution when they decided to withdraw it instead of seeking out a more affordable supplier?

The NHS Constitution states:

"the NHS is committed to providing best value for taxpayers' money" (DH, 2015, P.4)

Sign the petition if you agree they are not upholding their principles ....

change.org/p/itt-campaign-g...

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Pamela0106 profile image
Pamela0106
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Clutter profile image
Clutter

Pamela0106,

I don't know the answer to that but withdrawing treatment patients have been told they need may mean GPs are breaching the the General Medical Services contract between NHS and general practices.

The BTA issued guidance that patients doing well on T3 should not have their prescriptions with-drawn. See FAQS for patients and GPs in british-thyroid-association...

CCGs do not have the authority to tell GPs what not to prescribe. Individual GPs, not CCGs, could be found in breach of the General Medical Services contract if they do not prescribe treatment patients have been told "they need".

bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j36...

The GPC has warned that GPs would be in breach of the GMS contract and could get into legal trouble by following the orders and refusing to prescribe patients treatments they have told them they need.

gponline.com/gpc-warning-ig...

Please complete the NHS England Survey re deprescribing Liothyronine. engage.england.nhs.uk/consu...

Pamela0106 profile image
Pamela0106 in reply to Clutter

Consultation survey completed already. Thank you for all this though. Every bit of evidence matters! 😍

I'm in Scotland just as an FYI. We don't have CCG's. The NHS health board themselves here have already withdrawn it from people who previously were stated to need it and are doing well on it. They are also refusing new patients who need it. I'm one of them. X

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Pamela0106

Pamela0106,

NHS Scotland and NHS England are seperate entities and what applies to NHS England won't neccessarily apply to NHS Scotland.

Pamela0106 profile image
Pamela0106 in reply to Clutter

I know hun. But in regards to T3, it is and has already being withdrawn from the GP formulary in Scotland.

The petition applies to all UK thyroid patients and not just NHS England on the back of their consultation.

The lady who started the initial petition is a Scottish Thyroid patient. She has the full backing of Scottish MSP too and both encourage the completion of the NHS consultation survey regardless of not residing in England. X

Parbrook profile image
Parbrook in reply to Clutter

The documents on the BTA website mentioned above only cover Primary Hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroid symptoms due to poor conversion and/or poor absorption seems to be completely ignored by the BTA/BTF, NHS, etc. and I have a feeling that Liothyronine is even more important for those of us with poor conversion and/or poor absorption, including DIO gene deficiency and hormone resistance.

There does not even seem to be a name for this condition, as Secondary, Tertiary and Central Hypothyroidism seem to refer to TRH, TSH and Pituitary issues (according to a Google search).

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Parbrook

Yousurname,

The BTA documents which I posted above are specifically about switching from Liothyronine.

Parbrook profile image
Parbrook in reply to Clutter

Yes, I did read those documents and they refer to Primary Hypothyroidism.

How many GPs and Endos understand the distinction between the different types of Hypothyroidism and their different medication requirements?

Very few, I suspect, so the pressure to switch from Liothyronine will be applied to most Hypothyroidism patients.

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Parbrook

Yoursurname,

I don't think they care. Primary and central hypothyroidism are treated the same. If people require T3 in addition to T4 or instead of T4 it will be due to deiodination affecting conversion not that the hypothyroidism is primary or central.

The primary object appears to be to save money but switching patients from expensive Liothyronine to cheaper Levothyroxine.

steviecat profile image
steviecat

Please, everyone, sign the ITT petition :-)

marigold22 profile image
marigold22

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40862045

Obviously a different scenario but I really do believe the NHS are breaching their own Constitution Principles and also Human Rights.

I have wondered if we should put our case in front of a kind and helpful QC

Pamela0106 profile image
Pamela0106 in reply to marigold22

The ITT Campaign will be going to the media soon. Right now their focus is on petition signatures (we just hit 7k ... 93k to go still) and on writing letters to MPs, Councillors, CCG's and Health Boards but it is trying to get funds to go to the papers and general media too.

You can follow them here:

facebook.com/ITTCampaign/

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