A further report on the resignations appears in the Times and mentions the 4 members of the committee leaving (already covered in our previous blog), quotes the BMJ reporting a high number of patient representatives on the committee and the fact that consultation on the draft guidance attracted 4,000 responses — an unusually high figure.
Four members of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) committee producing the treatment guidelines left just two weeks before publication of the document. Nice is expected to conclude that the NHS should no longer recommend a controversial exercise therapy for ME after patients said that exertion made their illness worse.
In draft guidance last year Nice said that graded exercise therapy should not be offered for ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. It had been recommended in Nice guidance issued in 2007.
Nice also emphasised that another previously recommended treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), should be seen as a supportive tool and “not a treatment or cure”.
The new guidance is due to be published on August 18.
The article appears here although only accessible for paid subscribers