Access to cancer drugs slammed
- 00:01:48
- ITN
Access to cancer drugs slammed
Jane Tomlinson's widower has accused the Government of "stonewalling" over access to cancer drugs.Mrs Tomlinson, 43, had to travel from her home in Leeds to Nottingham to receive the life-extending drug Lapatinib because the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust had not taken part in the access study of the treatment.She lost her seven-year battle with cancer last September, after raising more than £1.75 million for charity in gruelling endurance events, including three London Marathons.Her widower, Mike Tomlinson, has been trying to raise the issue of "unfair" access to cancer drugs since her death.He has called the Government "spineless" for stonewalling his request for answers regarding his late wife's problems in accessing life-extending drugs.Mr Tomlinson said the Government's inaction has forced him to go to the media.Last November, Mr Tomlinson met Health Minister Ann Keen and Cancer Tsar Mike Richards to try to get some answers."They promised me they'd report back to me in three months. They didn't. Not one email, not one phone call."They made a promise to get back to me after three months. They have broken that promise," he said.Mr Tomlinson claims the availability of cancer drugs is like a "patchwork quilt" across the UK.He said it was incumbent on Government ministers to have a look at the system, review the process and have a speedier access to drugs.© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
ITN | March 21, 2008
