Politics: NHS cancer drugs fund to be restricted

Will MS escape the beady eyes of the NHS cost-cutters? #MSPolitics #MSBlog

"It is clear that socialist Britain is falling apart. The budget deficit is not getting any smaller; national debt remains a problem and the political parties are scratching their heads about how to balance the books. More taxation vs. more cuts. Is it surprising that expensive cancer drugs are getting the chop? MSers and all the relevant stakeholders will find the following BBC news report very concerning. MS is a high-cost disease and it is only a matter of time before the bean counters have MS in their sites. What will the restrictions look like? Will they limit prescribing by delaying access to DMTs or will they implement more stringent starting and stopping criteria? Will they cull MRI monitoring and allow a generation of MSers to smolder? The economic and political environment looks dark and gray for people with chronic diseases living in the UK and Europe. This is why we need the means to fight politically; if we don't who will fight our corner?"

James Gallagher (Health editor). Cancer Drugs Fund to be restricted - says NHS. BBC News website12 November 2014. 

Excerpts:

.... Some life-saving cancer medicines are likely to be removed from the list of expensive drugs paid for out of a special fund set up by the prime minster....

.... The Cancer Drugs Fund was designed to give patients in England access to effective treatments deemed too expensive for hospitals to fund....

.... But now the fund will introduce price restrictions for the first time and 42 drugs are being reassessed.....

..... The £200m-a-year Cancer Drugs Fund has been used by about 55,000 people.....

..... It has faced money problems and was overspent by £30m last year......