28.10.10
Cancer drugs fund confirmed
The health secretary Andrew Lansley has announced that a £200 million Cancer Drugs Fund is now confirmed to come into force from next April.
The fund will provide extra money for cancer drugs between 2011-2013, which the government says will enable more people to gain access to ‘innovative cancer drugs.’
Andrew Lansley said: “I pledged to create a cancer drugs fund so that cancer sufferers and their families could benefit from drugs that their doctors believe could improve their quality of life. This £200 million a year funding over three years for cancer drugs is a crucial step forward in addressing the disparity in patients' access to cancer drugs in England compared to other countries.
“My aim is to truly empower patients. I want to give them more control over their healthcare and ensure no decisions are made ‘about them, without them’. Our longer-term plans will change the way we pay for drugs so that patients get better access to drugs and the NHS and the taxpayer get better value for money.”
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