NICE BLOCK NHS USE OF SIGHT SAVING DRUG!!

Imagine not being able to see your child’s face when they see what you got them for Christmas, or not being able to see any of your loved ones again, as your world is plunged into darkness! A thought that does not bear thinking about. Unfortunately, for 50,000 people who are inflicted with Diabetic Macular Oedema , this is the very grim reality.

With this in mind, the very kind hearted folk at NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) in all their wisdom have seen it as a appropriate to block a potentially life transforming drug from being available on the NHS. And you guessed it, its the same old story of, “Its too expensive to justify”.

This story, along with many others like it, just signifies once again that our society has its priorities completely out of whack. People who are actually in a very poor condition health wise, are being forced to pay out for their medicine in the long term, while, if a man can proof that he can live as a women, and requests surgery and convinces the doctor its not just for cosmetic reasons, then the deviant can then get the surgery paid for by you; yet someone who actually has a severe problem, and without the drug, could face a lifetime in darkness, is being told that its just too expensive.... Where the hell is the reason in that?!

We have to start putting our people first. We have to realise that looking out for our own isn't wrong. We are in trying times at the moment, with cuts across the board, so we are all struggling, but then add the cost of your health care. Under current economic conditions, we should be ensuring that our services get the injection of cash that they need to operate at a high level, yet all public services, including the NHS, have nose dived in standards because of cuts in funding.... Bare that in mind, and then wonder at why Foreign Aid is not being cut. Oh no, very much the opposite. In fact more money is being thrown away across seas, into black holes, and into the back pockets of Third World dictators. Its time someone reminded the government that CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME!!

Britain needs an injection of realism, and needs to be forced back into the realms of reality. The Health and well being of the British people should be a priority of the Government. I am a strong supporter of PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT, and I am sick and tired of hearing our Government allowing people go without much needs drugs just to save a little money, while wasting tons of it overseas.

BOWEL CANCER PATIENTS DENIED TO LIFE PROLONGING DRUG BECAUSE ITS “TOO EXPENSIVE”

A drug that is freely available to cancer patients across Europe and beyond has been denied to NHS patients because the Governments rationing body, Nice, deems it “too expensive” and not “cost effective.”

As if I need to point this, but this move is truly sick and really does boggle the mind. Virtually every EU country allow Bowel Cancer patients free access to the drug, Avastin, which has been proven to extend the life of cancer suffers by up to two years. In France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavian countries, as well as Australia and Canada, the respective Health Authorities all meet the cost of treatment.

This decision by Nice is an extremely huge blow to the 4,000 to 5,000 people who will be affected by this who severely need this drug and could really benefit.

Avastin, also known as Bevacizumab, would cost the NHS around £18,000 for a course of ten months’ treatment given as intravenous infusion with chemotherapy- the price is similar to that in other countries.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence , which looks at quality of life and overall effectiveness, says the annual cost would be at about £36,000. The reason the Nice are kicking up a fuss is because this is above the maximum limit for funding of treatment which currently stands at £30,000, which, interestingly has not risen in over ten years despite huge inflations during the same period.

Any morally right person would be 100% against this.

Because of the Governments scrimping on spending on the NHS, when it comes to such vital treatments, patients waiting for a decision on Avastin are now forced to face the indignity of begging special funding from local health bodies, if that fails they can only hope that there is a trail for the drug happening in their area.

The priorities of the Government and in turn the NHS are a complete mess. The way it should be is that the NHS should be primarily about saving lives not saving money. While we do have to get a balance and ensure that we still have money in the pot, but this should be secondary.

This madness needs to stop. Bowel Cancer patients who are suffering and who are likely to be out of work and don’t have an income to really speak about, have to pay for their treatment and also pay for the privilege to park in the hospital car park.