Tag: policy

The potential benefit of the Off-patent Drugs Bill to people affected by a brain tumour has been highlighted in an editorial featured in The Telegraph. The paper also features a letter in support of The Bill signed by 40 clinicians including Professor Susan Short who is leading a clinical trial to investigate the effect of hydroxychloroquine on high grade gliomas undergoing radiotherapy.

The interim report of the Accelerated Access Review, a UK Government review looking at ways to speed up patient access to new drugs, was published on the 27th October.

Cancer Research UK have released some figures that demonstrate how getting a cancer diagnosis in a timely manner varies across the UK.

Developing a new drug is hugely expensive. The whole process – from initial laboratory tests through clinical trials to licensing for use in humans (if it gets that far) – is time-consuming and often frustrating.

People with a brain tumour could be prevented from accessing low cost and readily available drugs that have been proven to treat their tumour because the drugs are no longer covered by a manufacturer’s patent. Ask your local MP to vote in favour of the Off-Patent Drugs Bill on 6th November to ensure we change this.

On Sunday, an Independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving world class cancer outcomes: a strategy for England. This sets out 95 recommendations for the delivery of services for cancer by the NHS in England for the next five years. (Tuesday July 21).

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ document Choosing Wisely – which has been widely reported in the media – says doctors should work with patients to cut out treatments and procedures which are of ‘questionable value’.

This is a guest post by Hatton James Legal, an employment law specialist based in Birmingham.