Campaign group delighted at number of new treatments
SIGNIFICANT progress has been made in introducing new drugs and treatments, but hurdles remain to new cancer treatments, a campaign group has said.
Representatives of Health Equality for All (Heal), which was at the forefront of the campaign to get Guernsey to narrow the gap between what is available in the island and on the NHS, have met the new States chief pharmacist Beverley Hall.
Last term the States agreed a phased approach to introducing drugs and treatments approved by Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), putting aside funding for the first two years of the programme which should cost £13.4m.
Any progress beyond that will be reliant on the new Assembly prioritising its next tranche of spending as it juggles how to close a predicted £56.2m. deficit in public finances by 2025.
Heal chairman Mike Read said that the Health & Social Care committee had given it no reason to doubt its commitment to implementation and prioritisation.
‘Nice TA investment is considered a catalyst having wider benefits, improving patient care and efficiency of service delivery, extending well beyond the 4,000 patients expected to be receiving improved drugs and treatments in the first two years,’ he said.
‘Despite the delays due to Covid and Brexit, implementation officially begun in November. Significant progress has been made, however challenges remain particularly in the procurement and delivery of new cancer treatments.’
The first two years are expected to see the introduction of more than 90 new drugs and treatments.
A total of 39 drugs were added to the ‘white list’ in January with a further 20 in March.
The focus is now on improving access to new cancer drugs.
‘The pharmacy team has identified 29 potential oral and infused cancer drugs, with work on eight prioritised for adoption onto the Bailiwick "white list",’ Heal said in a summary of the meeting with Ms Hall.
‘It was accepted that these cancer drugs present more of a challenge, not just in terms of their procurement but also the upskilling of professionals involved and staff resources.
‘Resolving the ongoing delays to work at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital to establish a permanent unit to manufacture infused drugs are also key to their successful deployment to patients this year.’
The group has been encouraged by HSC’s engagement with patient groups in the last six months.
‘If implementation were to stall or be slowed down, we would hope the likely impact of this on patients would be discussed with Heal and groups like the Guernsey Cancer Alliance,’ said Mr Read.
n Heal wants to hear from anyone who thinks their health has been compromised by the delayed implementation of Nice TAs or Covid-related issues like waiting lists. E-mail mp.read@cwgsy.net.
