Motion in Scottish Parliament

[lynmynott]

Elaine Smith MSP has put down a motion in the Scottish Parliament prior to standing down as MSP.

Please ask your Scottish members to ask their MSPs to support this motion.

Lord Hunt is also keeping up the pressure for us by laying down parliamentary questions. Please see details of both below:

Motion

Motion Number: S5M-24420

Lodged By: Elaine Smith

Date Lodged: 17/03/2021

Title: Thyroid Champions

Motion Text:

That the Parliament notes that World Thyroid Day falls on 25 May 2021; acknowledges what it considers to be the ongoing failures in the treatment of people with thyroid conditions, the majority of whom, it understands, are women; expresses disappointment that many are reportedly still having daily struggles to secure proper diagnosis and treatment; understands that those who can afford it have to pay privately for diagnosis and medication; acknowledges that current research being complied by The Thyroid Trust suggests that there are currently patients in at least five NHS board areas who are reportedly being refused liothyronine; believes that the Scottish Government would understand the issues better if it undertook a similar project to the UK Government’s current call for evidence as part of its new Women’s Health Strategy, to better understand women’s experiences of the health and care system; considers that large drug manufacturers appear to have control over the supply and reportedly inflated costs of life-saving drugs such as liothyronine in the UK, compared to other countries, and hopes that future MSPs will continue to work as thyroid champions to help progress the ongoing issues.

Parliamentary Question

Lord Bethell, the Department of Health and Social Care, has provided the following answer to Lord Hunt's written parliamentary question:

Question:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 4 March (HL13668), what comparison they have made of the cost of Liothyronine (T3) in (1) the UK, and (2) EU member states; and what assessment they have made of any such comparison. (HL14040)

Tabled on: 09 March 2021

Answer:

Lord Bethell:

The Department has made no such comparison or assessment. All United Kingdom marketing authorisation holders of liothyronine are obliged to ensure that the product complies with the minimum standard as specified in the British Pharmacopoeia monograph for liothyronine tablets. Liothyronine on the market in European Union Member States may not comply with the updated British Pharmacopoeia monograph and therefore would not be considered therapeutically equivalent. Therefore, price comparisons would not be ‘like for like’.

In the UK, several marketing authorisations have been granted for liothyronine since 2016 and the reimbursement price has slowly been reducing as a direct response to more competition in the market.

Date and time of answer: 17 Mar 2021 at 16:37.

If you live in Scotland, please ask your MSPs to support this motion.

[pennyannie]

Can't really just tick the box :

But just want to thank you all, for the continued hard work and tireless campaigning in all areas and aspects of impoving thyroid health treatment for everybody.

[humanbean]

Lord Bethell is waffling nonsense. T3 is more expensive in the UK than elsewhere in the world. His response is that UK T3 is better than other T3. But who cares? We can't get hold of the stuff because doctors think we don't need it and that it costs too much.

And besides - Lord B doesn't have a clue whether our T3 is better or not - so the point is moot.

[HighlandMo]

I’m in Scotland and will do that. Elaine Smith was a great support with the petition which sadly fizzled out. She’ll be sadly missed when she steps down. Considering the positive comments the petition got from committee members but ultimate failure to change anything I doubt much will happen but it’s worth a try!