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NHS England accused of 'unjustified rationing' against clinical guidance

Keep Our NHS Public says Nice guidance is not being followed

NHS ENGLAND has been accused of planning the “unjustified rationing” of medical procedures against existing clinical guidance.

Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) says NHS England’s proposals to withdraw 17 NHS clinical procedures contradict the advice of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the recognised authority advising clinicians on the current state of research evidence.

NHS England is currently consulting on proposals to withdraw procedures, including hysterectomy for heavy menstrual bleeding and the removal of benign skin lesions, unless complex criteria are met.

KONP warns that, although the consultation document gives the impression that the proposals are fully in line with NICE, NHS England does not cite any evidence from NICE for nine of 17 proposals, while the NICE evidence cited does not support the proposal for five procedures.

KONP co-chairman and retired consultant Tony O’Sullivan said: “Clinicians should read NICE guidance for themselves rather than take NHS England’s word for it.

“We ask clinicians and the public to reject unjustified rationing plans which will force patients to suffer or seek private treatment, the thin end of the wedge for further cuts to come.”

Mr O’Sullivan added that, in the case of intervention for snoring surgery, NHS England was bypassing unfinished NICE guidance research which is not due to be published until 2020.

He said: “Existing NICE and other clinical guidelines are already cautious, conservative, thorough and periodically under clinical review.

“Clinical practice should change in response to proven research following systematic review, not pre-empt it. NHSE is bypassing unfinished research cited in NICE guidance.”

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