Diagnosis And Management Of Hypothyroidism

EDM number 1739 in 2006-07, proposed by Austin Mitchell on 20/06/2007.

That this House notes that misunderstandings surrounding the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism are causing confusion within the medical profession; therefore urges the Department of Health to introduce acceptable guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism, which will remove all unacceptable terminology regarding blood test results for thyroid function, such as normal or in the reference range, ensuring that the upper and lower ends of the reference range are not to be used as `cut off points', as was suggested in the 1990s by the developers of the reference range; further notes that thyroid function test results are used as a sole indicator for the diagnosis and management of the condition, whereas observation of signs, patients' symptoms and history, and clinical appraisal should all be part of the criteria of diagnosis; regrets the fact that technological advances in the field of thyroid chemistry have narrowed the GP's diagnosing ability, with the consequence that thousands of hypothyroid sufferers are undetected or misdiagnosed as suffering from conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, etc., so that the true number of hypothyroid sufferers is not known; and further urges the Department and the medical profession to correct the situation so as to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment of all consequences of hypothyroidism.

This motion has been signed by a total of 71 MPs.