Archive for category: Equal Access
18
June
2015

PHA/HSC ‘out of touch’ on cancer drugs

Cancer Focus Northern Ireland has branded the Public Health Agency and Health and Social Care Board as ‘out of touch’ with public opinion over their position on access to cancer drugs. In a joint response to the DHSSPS Consultation on the Evaluation of the Individual Funding Request (IFR) Process, t...

20
March
2015

Support access to drugs meetings

Cancer Focus NI is urging local people to attend their local public meeting to voice their opinions on how to improve access to specialist drugs. The DHSSPS has organised a series of meetings across Northern Ireland (details below) intended to provide an opportunity for public discussion of the rece...

17
February
2015

Drugs fund report welcomed

Proposed changes to NI’s current drug approval process have been welcomed by Cancer Focus Northern Ireland. Following the charity’s Equal Access campaign for the same access to cancer drugs for Northern Ireland patients as those living in England, Health Minister Jim Wells announced a review in May...

13
November
2014

Latest news on Equal Access to drugs

A delegation from Cancer Focus Northern Ireland has met with the panel set up to carry out an evaluation of the Individual Funding Request (IFR) process. The IFR process is intended to provide access to unapproved specialist drugs for patients where there is an agreed clinical need. These drugs are...

22
October
2014

Vera’s cancer story

Young-at-heart Vera Saunderson (72) lives in Carrickfergus. Vera was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2012 and is experiencing first-hand the inequality in accessing life-extending cancer drugs in Northern Ireland.  Vera, a widow with two children and four grandchildren, was faced with the dilemma of...