Should DWP sickness and disability benefits be linked to compliance with treatment? (UK)
This is something that is being discussed at a political level here in the UK, especially in relation to some types of addictive behaviour
But it also has implications for conditions such as ME/CFS where there are major differences between the published evidence from clinical trials and the patient evidence on safety and efficacy of treatments that are recommended in the NICE guideline on ME/CFS – ie CBT and GET
The current government position is that payment of DWP benefits cannot be refused on the grounds that someone has decided that they do not want to take a drug, surgical intervention, or other form of treatment that is being recommended by a health professional, or by NICE.
But this could change…
Guardian discussion:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/29/coercing-people-mental-health-problems-work-treatment
I think it’s all been said in the Guardian article and has got to be one for the legal team and doctors organisations, not to mention human rights.