Shropshire Woman Denied Herceptin

I read this in last night's Shropshire Star ...

NHS says it will not give drug
By Vickie Woodward

A second Oswestry woman is being forced to raise thousands of pounds "or potentially life-saving cancer treatment after health officials refused to pay for it.

Ann Cook works at the same hospital as fellow breast cancer patient and fundraiser Margaret Bradford. Both were refused the potentially ife-saving Herceptin on the NHS by Shropshire Primary Care Trust.

They are facing bills of between £40,000 and £47,000 to fund the treatment.

Today Mrs Cook, a nursing auxiliary at Oswestry's orthopaedic hospital, said she was "extremely disappointed" to get a letter nforming her that her circumstances were not deemed exceptional.

"I heard that certain other counties are funding it. Surely we should all be on a level playing field," she said.

"To have a postcode lottery is deplorable. We have only just started fundraising
I was hoping that they would change their minds and fund it.

Helpful

The PCT has said the drug can only be given to patients diagnosed before October 2005 in exceptional circumstances.

Mrs Cook was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2005. She had surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

The aggressive tumour was tested and found to be HER2 positive, and she was told by her oncologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital that Herceptin would be of substantial benefit.
Mrs Cook, a mother-of-two, wrote to the PCT to ask for the controversial treatment, but received a letter at the same time as Mrs Bradford informing her they would not be funding the drug.

Catering administrator Mrs Bradford, 54, travelled to Christie's Hospital in Manchester for her first course of treatment last week. To help call (01691) 662450.

When Mrs Cook says that "certain other countries are funding it" I don't know if she was referring to North Britain and West Britain or not.

The sad fact is that if Mrs Cook lived literally 5 miles to the west she wouldn't have had to beg for her life and be turned down. Oswestry town centre is about 5 miles from the Welsh border.

Herceptin is available to Welsh and Scottish breast cancer sufferers without them having to beg for it thanks to the Scottish Chancellor's generosity with English taxes.