Why can't we have NHS vouchers to spend on what drugs we want?
Posted on: Wed, 13/08/2008 - 10:05
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Why can't we have NHS vouchers to spend on what drugs we want?
With all the furore over the Nice draft guidance last week that condemned kidney cancer patients to a premature death, despite the availability of FOUR new effective drugs, why can't the NHS do the following?
Nice says clearly that it won't pay for drugs costing over a certain amount.
OK, fine. SO, why the hell not give patients effectively a 'voucher' to whatever is that magic number, then let them PAY THE DIFFERENCE THEMSELVES!!!!!!
It would make a HUGE difference to patients if they only had to pay some few thousand pounds extra themselves, but had the bulk of the cost of the new drugs paid for by their NHS 'voucher'.
At the very least, the NHS could use this funding model for an initial period, until sufficient stats have accumulated on the new drugs to provide clinical evidence of their long-term efficacy.
Right now, Nice are conveniently issuing a Catch 22 on new cancer drugs:
Their malign, Orwellian logic goes:
"There aren't sufficient statistics on whether these drugs really do keep people alive long enough to justify their cost, so we're not going to pay for them. And since we're not going to pay for them, then people won't have them, and so no long-term suvival statistics will be forthcoming, so we can go on citing that as a reason not to fund the drugs...."
Brilliant! (unless you have advanced cancer that is....)
Julie
I have to agree with you, Julie, when they said Tom would not get funding because they worked it out to be over £30,000 which by our maths 2500x12 =£30,000, how they arrived at £150,000 is beyond us, until we found they front load it like a mortgage, and add in everything including the kitchen sink.
We said the same , well if it comes to over £30,000 we will pay the difference. they replied "it does not work like that". Seemed logical to us.
Anyway we got funding and we are okay, but that does not mean that we do not care about others who are having the same fight as us. We care very strongly about cancer patients, and the treatment they are NOT getting and will not get if this travesty is allowed to come to fruition. I hate unfairness and the way people are being treated is unfair, I do not have a problem with others getting treatment for their disease, addiction whatever, I just think it ought to be a level playing field. I do not think it ought to be brought down to life versus cost, how much life will you gain against cost. Everyones life is important, and a doctors job is to save life, I think NICE have forgotten this.
Steffy
Julie 2,
I do hope you have e mailed NICE with copy to your MP as the Orwellian logic does certainly seem to apply to NICE decicion making - indeed it would be very nice to have them deny that this is not the case.
Matt
Matt J Embleton