Bowel cancer patients denied choice of treatment
Beating Bowel Cancer published a new analysis report today (Equity and Excellence for Bowel Cancer) in which the charity call for NHS hospitals that fail to offer bowel cancer patients a full range of clinically appropriate treatments to be hit with tough financial penalties.
Copied from the Beating Bowel Cancer website:
Mark Flannagan, Chief Executive of Beating Bowel Cancer said, “Every day over 100 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and each one deserves the best treatment and care available. There are a variety of treatment choices available to bowel cancer patients. Yet, many are not being given a choice and, as a result, may not be getting the treatments they need to give them the best chance of beating bowel cancer.
“Today we are calling for treatment choice to be embedded in the NHS, and where choice is not offered then quality payments should be withheld. We want to turn equity and excellence into a reality for bowel cancer patients and we believe that this can only be done by putting patient choice at the heart of the NHS.”
Beating Bowel Cancer’s call comes as NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) confirms its rejection of the use of cetuximab (Erbitux), bevacizumab (Avastin), and panitumumab (Vextibix), for the treatment of advanced bowel cancer. So, the best drugs available to treat advanced metastatic bowel cancer won’t be available on the NHS? insane.
Beating Bowel Cancer’s chief executive continued to say:
“This is yet another blow for bowel cancer patients. Just as we are calling on the Government to fine hospitals that do not offer a choice of treatments.
“Each year at least 1800 bowel cancer patients are denied a choice of the best treatments available to them. All bowel cancer patients deserve the best care and that is why where choice is not offered we believe quality payments should be withheld.
“Our recommendation could actually make savings for the NHS and will mean better treatment now and in the future, enabling patients to survive and beat bowel cancer.”
I agree, it is a massive blow. It makes me very sad and angry indeed…just when you’re trying to move forward…
