Clarify equal access to cancer drugs – call

Leading cancer charity, Cancer Focus NI, has asked the Health Minister to provide clarification around a review promised to look at the availability of cancer drugs in Northern Ireland.

The Equal Access Campaign is calling for cancer patients in Northern Ireland to be given the same access to 38 cancer medicines as patients in England. Due to the Cancer Drug Fund in England, currently four times as many patients in England are able to benefit from these new cancer drugs than in Northern Ireland.  Over 14,000 emails of support and 3,000 postcards have been sent in support of the campaign since it was launched on 17^th June.

Roisin Foster, Chief Executive of Cancer Focus NI, said: “On 6^th May, Mr Poots acknowledged that the mechanism for accessing end of life cancer drugs, ‘is not perfect’. In June, he announced a review of the Individual Funding Request process.

“Campaigners for Equal Access to cancer drugs are frustrated at the lack of any apparent movement on this issue, since the review was announced. We have written to the Health Minister to ask:

• What are the terms of reference for the  review?
• When will the review conclude?
• Will patients and patient groups be consulted by the review?”

Mrs Foster added: “The patients who would benefit from these drugs are urging that a resolution to this inequality is found without any further delay. We will be seeking an urgent meeting with the First and deputy First Ministers to highlight access to cancer drugs in the coming days.”

Cancer Focus NI urges the public to back the Equal Access Campaign at: www.equalaccessni.org