A High Court review of NICE’s decision not to allow English alzheimers patients to have the drug Aricept on the NHS has failed.
NICE is the British government body that decides which medical treatments English people can have on the NHS. The name – National Institute for Clinical Excellence – is a sick joke. It is neither a national body, nor does it promote excellence. Its decisions are used as guidance in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but their decisions are not binding on the equivalent bodies in those countries and it is becoming increasingly common for drugs to be prescribed in Scotland but refused in England.
The drug firm, Eisai, joined forces with the Alzheimers Society to challenge the racist and discriminatory decision from NICE but the High Court only found them guilty of discrimination in the screening process for people with learning disibilities or who speak English as a second language. Doctors will now have the discretion to prescribe the drugs to people in those circumstances.
Once again the majority is discriminated against so the minority can be pandered to. Scottish? Take what you want, the English taxpayer will pay for it. Can’t be bothered to learn the language of the country you’ve emigrated to? Take what you want, the English taxpayer will pay for it.
Oh, please pay attention. If you’re going to write about these stories, at least get your facts right.
The legal action challenged NICE’s decision-making process, not on grounds of any perceived `racism’ (take a deep breath, Wonko) but on the grounds that it didn’t take sufficient regard of the possible benefits to carers, should the drug be prescribed at an early stage in the disease’s development. This impacts on NICE’s decision-making process … but not on whether any doctor prescribes this drug.
So not matter how you try to twist this, no-one is being discriminated against (although as the High Court pointed out, some people were, by NICE, and now they won’t be … which is a good thing, surely).
Allie, you might want to get your facts right before rubbishing an argument. NICE decisions are binding only in England. Whether the drug is available elsewhere in the UK or not – and it’s available in Scotland – is not down to NICE. NICE is a British government body. The reason why this drug is available in Scotland is because the English taxpayer subsidises Scotland. The British government denies these drugs to English people whilst forcing them to pay for the same drugs in Scotland.
Yeah, I know, as you’ve said loads of times. And I’m not disputing the facts about how NICE operates. That, however, is not racism, as English and Scottish people are from the same ethnic group.
As passionate (and predictable) as your response was, you still got the facts about the original story wrong, and did so either accidentally or deliberately in an attempt to twist the story to support your own ends.
And people wonder why grown-ups treat bloggers with contempt!
Not a different race? Check again Allie, English and Scottish are a different race in the eyes of the law. Racial Discrimination laws class discrimination on the basis of nationality as racism, as do the CRE.
… which isn’t the same as saying they’re a different race in the eyes of the law.
And – ahem – about the original facts of the story that you got wrong; was that accidental (because you didn’t know the facts) or deliberate (you knew the facts, but misrepresented tham to serve your own ends)?
Allie, an ethnic group is socially defined, it is based on religion, culture, and language. A race is a group of people with common ancestry and distinguishing physical features, skin colour for example.
We cannot say that the English Welsh Scotland, etc. were/are separate races, but they are separate ethnic groups.
Sorry to be pendantic, but I didn’t know if you knew this. I’d forgotten myself, until another pedant upbraided me on the use of the words…
Thanks Charlie. Does that answer your question Allie or was there something else?
Yeah, there’s something else; the question you’ve not answered. Did you get the facts about the court action (see my first response) wrong on purpose, or by mistake?
Christ Allie, you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. For someone who claims not to like blogs, you spend enough of your time trolling them. I didn’t say that the court action was taken on the grounds of racism, I described it is racist.
Allie Says:
“…I’m not disputing the facts about how NICE operates.”
Oh yes you! You absolutely ARE disputing the facts! And you’re attempting to twist what’s being said.
N.I.C.E. discriminates! N.I.C.E. is part of the EUrolander anti-English group. Just as New labour is! They all have the same agenda. Tbat agenda being to get rid of as many English people as possible. N.I.C.E. is one part of the EU. That much is obvious, even to you Allie!
“[it] is not racism, as English and Scottish people are from the same ethnic group.”
Aha! ha! ha! Oh please. Not trying to sidetrack the issue are we Allie? Okay! Okay! You’re a mental giant. What are you talking about? Race is not the same thing as ethnicity. They didnt teach you very well at LSE!
It is discrimination based on ethnicity!! Deny that! You can’t!
ethnicity:
Identity with or membership in a particular racial, national [there is an English nation]
or cultural group {there is an English culture, i.e. Milton, Shakespeare, King Alfred the great, Athelstan, Crick (DNA), Cricket, association football, rugby league, rugby union, drinking black tea, Yorkshire puds, Mince pies, Apple cider, real English ale…need I go on and on and on….?]
and observance of that group’s customs, beliefs, and language. [see above]
English and Scottish people are definitely NOT from the same ethnic group! We, the English don’t think so and neither do the scots! Allie, why don’t you e-mail Gordon the c*nt and ask him what he thinks? Oh no, he’d deny being scottish cos he’s really british except that he signed the scottish claim of right which makes him scottish again….and the shite goes on and on and on……………..