Clive Stone, recommended for MBE by David Cameron, is denied life saving drugs by NHS
10 May 2011
Hear our Patient Advocate Rose Woodward, speaking about it on Radio Oxford on 10 May.
Radio Oxford
Clive Stone, a kidney cancer patient and campaigner from David Cameron's constituency of Witney, will travel to Buckingham Palace tomorrow to receive his MBE having been personally recommended to receive the award by the Prime Minister. On Friday, however, Mr. Stone was told that his application for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), a treatment to help remove cancerous tumours that have now spread to his brain, had been refused by his local Primary Care Trust.
Health bosses from Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) are due to meet tomorrow to discuss whether or not Mr. Stone's case can be granted "exceptional" status which would allow him the operation. Oxfordshire PCT has claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that the treatment is clinically effective despite the fact that the NHS has invested over £8 million in 4 machines that can treat the illness.
Mr. Stone, who has campaigned for all kidney cancer patients alongisde James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer, became a leading figure in the fight for access to drugs after he met with David Cameron prior to last year's election. The Prime Minister was sitting on Clive's sofa when he announced the Cancer Drugs Fund, prompting Mr. Stone to tell David Cameron, "Don't let us down"; to which David Cameron replied 'Don't worry I won't let you down.'
Rose Woodward, a kidney cancer survivor and Head of Patient Support at James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer who has campaigned alongisde Mr. Stone, said;
"We are very disappointed that the NHS has refused Clive's application for the life-prolonging treatment at the same time the Government is thanking him for his services to cancer patients. Kidney cancer patients like Clive should be able to rely on the NHS to take care of them properly. We will never beat cancer if our clinicians are prevented from giving UK patients effective treatment that is in routine use in other countries around the world.
James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer is in touch with several patients through our Careline and Forum who have been systematically let down by the NHS including one patient who is currently having to self-fund their own drugs on a weekly basis having been refused drugs access by the Cancer Drugs Fund. This is simply unacceptable."
