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UK Cancer Specialist Warned: NHS Might Refuse Cancer Treatment for Smokers and Obese

A leading UK Cancer Specialist warned that the National Health Service (NHS) is facing very difficult choices about which diseases would be treated and which would not in the coming future.  Professor John Smyth of Medical Oncology at the University of Edinburgh, gave a speech at the International Science Festival, Edinburgh. In his  speech “The Future of Cancer Treatment - can we afford it?”, he stressed on the fact that in the wake of limited public funding, very stringent decision can be made over the types of diagnosis and drugs to use in the future.

He questioned as to how to allocate funds towards treating over one disease over another. He enquired about what was to be the criterion of giving preference. He elucidated on the fact that the NHS had been stretched to its maximum value treating people suffering from heart disease, cancer and stroke. The breakthrough of new medicines was putting amplified pressure on the limited resources of the health services.

Professor John Smyth said that the country was already saddling with ageing population. Therefore, there are very few people who are contributing towards the health care budget, this is aggravated by the financial recession. Hence the Health Services are under a lot of pressure. As strides are being made in Medical Sciences, a way needs to be found to properly apportion available resources and funds to the patients.

As the society was in a moral predicament over various lifestyle issues like obesity, substance abuse and smoking, thus issues like these must be consider whenever a patient was in dire need of medical treatment. He added, “We have reached a difficult stage where these issues could no longer be uncared for. Over the years to come this issue is only going to get worsened”.

Professor John also added that the public could not be turned away saying no treatment was available.  Therefore that public was also to be made aware that limited money was available. He gave the example of the decision of not supplying Scottish patients with Herceptin a cancer drug due to its cost, the decision was later reversed after a civic protest.

He stressed that in the present economic crunch there are very few people who are contributing towards the Government but public expectation remains sky high. The requirement of drugs unavailable due to their cost has been a huge cause of disagreement in current years. Professor Smyth cited the example of Mike Gray, who was suffering from bowel cancer, and who was refused to be given drug Cetuximab to lengthen his life.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, announced that patients in Scotland would be now approved to enhance their treatment with private healthcare. She established that new regulation would guarantee that patients who were keen to pay for their drugs in a “co-funding” union would not be barred from NHS scheme.