New report on access to cancer treatments published
CCG steering group member, the Rarer Cancers Foundation, has published its report Funding Cancer Drugs: An evaluation of the impact of policies to improve access to cancer treatments.
The report looks at the progress that has been made in improving access to cancer treatment, with a particular focus on making exceptional case processes fairer, the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund, and allowing patients to purchase top ups without losing their entitlement to NHS care.
There are a number of key findings from the report, including:
- More than 2,500 cancer patients have benefited from the Cancer Drugs Fund between October 2010 and March 2011
- 187 patients were denied access to life-extending treatments between October 2010 and March 2011, despite the fact that £22.5 million was not spent by the end of March 2011
- The Cancer Drugs Fund is enabling patients to access up to 34 treatments which otherwise would not have been routinely available on the NHS
- Patients with bowel, kidney and blood cancers have been amongst the most significant beneficiaries of the Cancer Drugs Fund
The report makes a number of recommendations on how policies can be further improved to ensure affordable and equitable access to high quality treatments, taking into account the reform agenda within the NHS. The recommendations and the full report can be viewed here.
