They're promising to give cancer patients access to drugs - why not free Xolair for all?
Tories election pledge: They're... - Asthma Community ...
Tories election pledge
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andyk1
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Xolair is available free for people who are eligible for it, would be pretty pointless giving it to people it's not likely to work for...
Granted. But what about people who would benefit from it but whose PCTs can't/won't fund it?
Guess my point is that this is a single condition. Why only this one?
Maybe because asthma is a reversible condition for many people, and is well controlled with drugs that are available for all.
Cancer, if you don't get the drug you die...
The cynic in me says- they are promising it because it is a vote winner because every voter knows someone affected by cancer. (In my opinion) the NHS already spends a disproportionately large amount of money on cancer care (or too little or other things!). The cancer charities are large and powerful, plus the pharmaceutical companies have devious ways of getting patients to campaign to get their drugs.
I thought Xolair is only available for people when it is actually likely to save NHS (i.e. reducing hospital admissions). It would be good if the NHS had enough money to use it to improve people's quality of life. Is this the point you were trying to make andyk?
Neither Labour nor Conservatives have indicated how they will respond to Prof Gilmore's report about how to make prescriptions free to all those with long-term conditions in England. We may see something in their manifestos, now the election has been called. if not, we shall have to ask during the campaign.
Neil
