To: Letters editor, The Independent
3 February 2012
Dear Editor,
Jeremy Laurance raises an important issue about the balance of
providing the best quality of care for all patients with value for
money for the NHS [Why spare the drug companies? Friday 3
February]. However, we strongly dispute the claim that health
charities like ours are helping to bankrupt the NHS by calling for
patients to be given access to the treatments they need.
We accept NICE have a very difficult job to do and can only base
their decisions on the evidence provided to them for appraisal. New
drugs and treatments are critical in helping to help people with
cancer live longer - but they have to make it to the patient. The
current system of assessing the value of treatment on an average
life extension is failing. People are not averages, they are
individuals.
The Cancer Drugs Fund is the Government's admission that the
system does not work. We fully support the negotiations between the
Government and pharmaceutical industry that will lead to Value
Based Pricing but, until that system is in place, patients with
advanced cancer are losing out.
We do hope that pharmaceutical companies are able to put the
patient at the heart of their businesses and agree fair prices, so
that even the most innovative of drugs are made available to all
who need them. Until this day comes, our organisations have a
clear responsibility to represent the patient - it is why we exist
and too often the 'system' ignores them.
Yours sincerely,