Wickedness or folly? The ethics of NICE's decisions.
A rebuttal is provided to each of the arguments adduced by John Harris, an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics, in two editorials in the journal in support of the view that National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's procedures and methods for making recommendations about healthcare procedures for use in the National Health Service in England and Wales are the product of "wickedness or folly or more likely both", "ethically illiterate as well as socially divisive", responsible for the "perversion of science as well as of morality" and are "contrary to basic morality and contrary to human rights".
Claxton
K
K
Institute for Work & Health, 481 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1T4. aculyer@iwh.on.ca
Culyer
A J
AJ
D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000941:ethics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D028681:Moral Obligations; D011287:Prejudice; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom