Back in July I had a response to a FOI, which I challenged. I sent out numerous emails to different NHS governing bodies. I met a brick wall. Today an email turned up out of the blue from my Health Board. It only took them five months.
The complaint was that the blood testing for thyroid did not follow the NICE guidelines in that if the TSH was abnormal, the T4 and T3 should be done, and to enquire who had made the decision not to test T3 and why. .The first sentence shows how thoroughly they read my complaint.
Thank you for your e-mail with regard to Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) testing not being available.
Brick wall, head!
The bit I need help with is this:-
As neither liothyronine monotherapy nor combined levothyroxine and liothyronine therapy are considered to be standard care (as there are no clinical trials indicating that using liothyronine is superior to levothyroxine monotherapy) there is no all Wales protocol regarding monitoring of these.
See how they twist it? I do have papers showing that combined therapy works for some, so they will get those, but because it is not considered standard care, they are not going to test it! They also repeat that TSH is the gold standard. They say they test T3 if the blood taker says the patient is taking Liothyronine, but this is not true.
We do not refuse to test patients who are prescribed liothyronine but a TSH within the reference range indicates that the dose of levothyroxine, liothyronine or combined therapy is appropriate and no further testing is indicated.
I have been refused a number of times, as I am sure you have.
So has anyone got a paper showing any patients on T3 only are well?
Not once to they mention how they patient may feel, or the quality of life! We are not a (TSH) number!
I may have to put the red wine bottle down before I respond! Cheers!