O/T - New setback for the Covid-vulnerable patients

[zenfootball2]

i dont have the words to say how disgusted i am with this decision.

whilst  at the same time the NHS  has spent £40 million on diversity staff !
 
"NHS spends £40m a year on diversity staff – enough for an extra 1,200 nurses. NHS bosses are spending about £40million a year on diversity and inclusion staff.14 Oct 2022"

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11447861/New-setback-Covid-vulnerable-NHS-axes-four-lifeline-drugs.html


"Four Covid drugs which have kept thousands of vulnerable Britons out of hospital were quietly removed last week, after the NHS spending watchdog pulled funding for them.
While the Covid vaccines and boosters provide strong protection against serious illness for most of the population, about 500,000 people suffer with conditions that mean their bodies do not respond to the jabs, leaving them at serious risk from the virus.

Since last year, these patients – who primarily have blood cancers such as leukaemia, kidney disease or have had an organ transplant – have been able to access five anti-Covid drugs which prevent them from falling seriously ill and ending up in hospital. But on Wednesday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said it will withdraw four of them from NHS use as they are no longer deemed cost-effective."

[ssshrew]

Seconded. There are no other words because absolutely nothing shocks or surprises me any more.

[Deleted]

Just a couple of things.

It is not the NHS staff or even the local management that specify diversity targets, it's the government. If trust management have to pay people to ensure that those diversity targets are met that is not on them, it's on the government. I am against any form of discrimination, including positive discrimination. Paying out millions of pounds a year to reduce any discrimination should not be needed, but obviously some people think that it is. Decades of discrimination in many walks of life, including the NHS, has meant that fairness needs to be seen to be done and celebrated. Inclusion should be automatic, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

NICE have several points on which they advise the government and the NHS and one of those is cost effectiveness of treatments. If a drug or treatment is not seen to be cost effective it is not approved or maybe withdrawn. If only a small proportion of the population is benefiting from a costly treatment is it right that that treatment is continued to the detriment of other treatments. I don't know enough about these drugs that are being withdrawn, but 1 out of the 5 is staying, who is to say that that 1 treatment is not the most effective and cost efficient? What other new treatments would have to be held back form approval to fund the other 4 treatments? Perhaps newer stroke medication would have to wait or new treatments for those recovering from heart attacks or cancer, perhaps treatment for hearing loss or blindness. I don't know anything about current medical advances, so unfortunately I have to rely those that actually do.

Even I admit that the NHS cannot be all things to all people, without unlimited finances and that is not feasible, so they with the help of NICE have to prioritise which treatments, procedures and medicines will lead to better outcomes for more of us.

[northwestman]

From Facebook:

'So now, not only will the Government not give Enzo Evusheld to give my partner the antibodies he can't make himself, they have now removed the antiviral treatment he could have if he caught Covid. The only antiviral which is now approved reacts with the anti rejection drugs he takes to maintain his transplant.

For the first time in the past 3 years I feel absolute despair'.

[ssshrew]

There truly is no hope for anything if this is the case. It really is appalling that we are not caring for vulnerable people in this day and age and there is nothing we can do about it.

[zenfootball2]

for me the measuer of a compassionate and caring country is how we treat the most vunerable and the elderly
This country has sunk to a new low ,they have abounded the most vunerable, child poverty is growing and many elderly people may have to chose between heating and eating .

In my church we have a Thursday coffe morning we always get a visit from a home with adults with learning disabilities, the staff tell me that many of the activities they used to attend run by various charaties never re started after covid as the volunteeers were either dead or many decide not to come back leaving the charaties unable to run them.

i would imagine the sky rocketting energy bills will have an impact as well. i was suprised to hear the church is classed as a business and our energy bills have gone up to £8,000. bearing in mind the heating and lights are only on for a few hours a week. we have a small hall so we will move most of the services there. 

[zenfootball2]

there are no easy answers

[stuttgartershrew]

Nov 20, 2022 14:27:43 GMT 1 zenfootball2 said:

 
"NHS spends £40m a year on diversity staff – enough for an extra 1,200 nurses. NHS bosses are spending about £40million a year on diversity and inclusion staff.14 Oct 2022"

I've no doubt there might well be some benefit too all this but on the flip side, I think this is also what you're getting for your money...

Hospital staff told police their patient was not raped as alleged attacker was transgender, despite CCTV showing assault in ward

This is clown world stuff...