Saturday, April 6, 2013

Cancer patients facing race against clock for drugs in fund 'betrayal' - Telegraph.co.uk

"This creates a whole new tier of rationing, which is prejudicial to those with rare cancers, and it is a betrayal of the promises which were made."

Before the last General Election, Mr Cameron pledged that any patient with cancer should be allowed any drug licensed in the last five years, if their doctor seeks it.

He said then: 'Patients in this country should be among the first in the world to use effective cancer treatments, but are being denied access to drugs widely available in Europe.

"We want to get more drugs to people more quickly and in the UK today there are some people – thousands of people – who want a certain cancer drug, whose doctors tell them they should have a certain cancer drug, who don't get it."

The pledge came after studies found that thousands of cancer patients faced an early death because of decisions taken by rationing body the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Since September 2010, doctors have been able to make requests to access the cancer drugs fund via health authorities.

However, the organisations were abolished on Monday, and yesterday a new central body, NHS England, led by Sir David Nicholson, issued a central list of recommended drugs, which excludes at least 18 treatments which had previously been funded.

Drugs which are not on the central list include rituximab for blood cancers, one of the most commonly requested treatments under the previous fund, as well as alemtuzumab for leukaemia, erlotinib for lung cancer, trabectedin for ovarian cancer, and plerixafor for myloma.

Yesterday officials insisted that while drug treatments on the central list would be "fast-tracked," doctors can still make individual requests for funding for other medications.

But charities said they were fearful that the system would leave desperately ill patients facing more hurdles, for drugs which could secure them precious extra time.

Cancer charities also expressed concern that the new arrangements are only in place until January, and that there is little information about what will happen to patients who fall ill after that.

Mark Flannagan, Chief Executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said: "What we are concerned about is that these arrangements are temporary and only give bowel cancer patients limited breathing space."

Gus Baldwin, Head of Public Affairs at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The fund has helped tens of thousands of cancer patients access the life-prolonging drugs they need giving them precious time with their families and friends.

"The Government must clarify as soon as possible how drugs which have been paid for by the fund will be available beyond 2014 so cancer patients can continue to access the drugs they need without the stress and worry that this uncertainty brings."

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