Government allocates £50 million for cancer drugs

The government has confirmed that £50 million has been granted to give people better access to cancer drugs.

The move comes after years of controversy over which cancer drugs are given funding by the health service and is aimed at buying drugs which were not already available on the NHS.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “The additional £50 million funding for cancer drugs available from today is just the start of our plans to address the disparity in patients' access to cancer drugs in England compared to other countries.

“My aim is to truly empower patients by giving them more control over their care and helping them access the clinically effective drugs that their doctors believe could improve their quality of life.

“I know this will mean a lot to cancer sufferers, their carers and their families and I want to assure all patients that I am working towards longer term plans to change the way we pay for drugs so patients get better access to drugs and the NHS and taxpayers get better value for money.”