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Macmillan Cancer Support responds to the Prime Minister’s announcement to consult on proposals on a new ‘early access scheme’ which will put new treatments in NHS hospitals more quickly
Mike Hobday, Director of Policy and Research of Macmillan Cancer Support, says:
'There are still types of cancers, such as lung and brain, where the increase in median survival over recent years has been tragically low. Recently, Macmillan released a report| showing that patients with these cancers had not experienced the major improvements in their survival expectancy that patients with, say, colon cancer had done. 'We warmly welcome any step that gives cancer patients, especially ones with rarer cancers, a better chance of access to vital treatments that their doctors believe could improve the quality of their lives, or gives them more time with their families and friends. That is also why in our new report|, released today, we praise the Cancer Drugs Fund in England for significantly improving access to medicines for thousands of cancer patients. 'Looking to the future, we also want the Government to ensure that its plans for a new value-based pricing system are designed with the needs of people with rarer cancer in mind. We are calling for any drug that is made available through the Cancer Drugs Fund in England to be automatically available on the NHS when in 2014 when the new system comes in.'
'There are still types of cancers, such as lung and brain, where the increase in median survival over recent years has been tragically low. Recently, Macmillan released a report| showing that patients with these cancers had not experienced the major improvements in their survival expectancy that patients with, say, colon cancer had done.
'We warmly welcome any step that gives cancer patients, especially ones with rarer cancers, a better chance of access to vital treatments that their doctors believe could improve the quality of their lives, or gives them more time with their families and friends. That is also why in our new report|, released today, we praise the Cancer Drugs Fund in England for significantly improving access to medicines for thousands of cancer patients.
'Looking to the future, we also want the Government to ensure that its plans for a new value-based pricing system are designed with the needs of people with rarer cancer in mind. We are calling for any drug that is made available through the Cancer Drugs Fund in England to be automatically available on the NHS when in 2014 when the new system comes in.'
-Ends-
Sarah Ross, Senior Media & PR Officer of Macmillan Cancer Support
020 7840 4722 (out of hours 07801 307068)
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. More than one in three of us get cancer. Two million of us are living with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help.