LETTER: Drugs should be available to all

I read with great concern the news that thousands of women are missing out on cheap drugs that could prevent their breast cancer from spreading when it becomes incurable, because it is unclear which health body should pay for them.

By The Newsroom

Published 10th Dec 2016, 09:30 BST

A breast cancer diagnosis can be devastating for patients and their families. If there are drugs out there that can prevent women dying from this dreadful disease, they must be made routinely available.

These drugs, called bisphosphonates, cost on average just 43p per day and, if given to all women who could benefit, one-in-10 breast cancer deaths could be prevented.

It simply doesn’t make sense that lives are being lost over this confusion over funding.

That’s why I’m backing Breast Cancer Now’s #43paday campaign, calling on my MP to urge the Health Secretary to clarify who is responsible for funding these drugs and ensure clear guidance is issued, as soon as possible.  I encourage others to join me and add their support by visiting www.breastcancernow.org/43paday

Barbara Hartshorn

Robin Hood Avenue,

Warsop

Health Secretary Warsop