Fears for the elderly under new NHS drugs policy (Coming Across the Pond)

UK Telegraph ^ | January 9, 2014 | Sarah Knapton

[C19fan]

New drugs would only be licensed for the NHS if they help those judged to be a benefit to wider society under proposals from the health watchdog. Pharmaceutical firms on Thursday night warned that the move could lead to new medicines being denied to the elderly. A senior professor also said that the plans could threaten the well-being of older people and were “deeply suspect”, while charities questioned the ethics of the policy.

[C19fan]

From what I understand before the NHS would approve a drug based on "cost-benefit analysis" of the patients. So a expensive drug that extends the life of terminal cancer patients might not make the cut. Now they bureaucrats who run the NHS will approve a drug if the patients being treated would "benefit" society. So yeah that drug that might help granny survive for a few years might not still get approved if granny is still going to be an invalid and not "benefit" society. Why not just go the whole "Logan's Run" route and eliminate people when they hit a certain age when they no longer "benefit" society.

[driftdiver]

morphine is cheap

[native texan]

From what I understand, Obamacare has already stated that patients on medicare and over the age of 76 will not be treated for any form of cancer.

[catnipman]

Interesting new twist on death panels in the UK: new drugs to be allowed for UK’s Obamacare ONLY if they have
benefit for the “wider society”. Soon coming to a Fascist health plan near you.

[Old Yeller]

From what I understand, Obamacare has already stated that patients on medicare and over the age of 76 will not be treated for any form of cancer.

I'll bet that age is a lot younger if you're a registered republican.

[native texan]

Actually, I did some more checking and this account is not true. It is derived from an e-mail from 3 or 4 years ago. A chain letter. So, there you go. I don’t know what the truth is.

[TomasUSMC]

What I hate about the medical system now is that they always ask if you want to prolong the life of the patient if it envolves “proceedures”. Then they go on to talk about how the ribs might break if they do CPR and so on. WTF, BROKEN RIBS ARE WORSE THAN DEAD?

follow the money