Breast cancer patients refused a life-extending drug are being denied a last Christmas with loved ones, charities warn.
Regulator Nice confirmed yesterday its new criteria to determine the cost-effectiveness of medicines for the NHS will be upheld, following a review.
These give greater weight to drugs for the most severe diseases whereas the previous focus was on end-of-life treatment.
Campaigners say the changes led to Enhertu being refused on cost grounds earlier this year, despite being available in Scotland and across Europe.
Nice concluded the new ‘severity modifier’ is working as intended and allows more medicines for severe, often life-long conditions to be recommended on the NHS.
It claimed a higher proportion of medicines have been granted since its introduction – at 84.4 per cent compared with 82.7 per cent using the old measures.
The change, they said, also means positive recommendations for treatments for cystic fibrosis and chronic hepatitis.
But Claire Rowney, from Breast Cancer Now, called the decision a ‘missed opportunity’ to offer a aid to people with breast cancer.
She added: ‘They face the heartbreaking reality of continuing to be denied access to this treatment – and that could make all the difference in them being there to enjoy another Christmas with loved ones.’
It comes as more than 300,000 cancer patients will face treatment delays over the next five years unless the Government drives up NHS performance, new analysis has suggested.
Cancer Research UK projects there will be 17.2 million urgent suspected cancer referrals in England over the next five years and, by 2029, there will be a fifth more than in the last year alone.
The charity analysed the current NHS waiting times target, which says 85 per cent of cancer patients should begin treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral – a target that has not been met since 2015.
It found that in the first six months of this year, 65.9 per cent of cancer patients were treated within the target timeframe in England, meaning more than 30,000 patients did not start treatment on time.
Between now and 2029, the charity projects that more than 301,000 people will not have been treated on time, while the number of urgent suspected cancer referrals will rise by a fifth, from 3.1 million in 2023 to about 3.75 million.
The charity said the NHS is seeing more patients than ever before, but an ageing and growing population means there are record numbers of cancer cases.
Cancer Research UK also says that patients were waiting too long to be diagnosed in the first place, with one major issue being too few staff and not enough diagnostic equipment.
