According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph, David Cameron, the leader of the British Conservative Party, wants all patients with cancer to have broader access to all approved medicines – whether or not their use is backed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the NHS' rationing body.
Last month, research found that up to 20,000 lives may have been shortened by decisions taken by the NICE in the past year.
The Telegraph writes that, “Handing decisions back to patients and their doctors is a significant dismantling of the current system … In making yesterday's pledge Cameron chose local decision-making – and its inherent risks – over state control.”
Oscar Wilde quipped, “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.”
If that’s the case, then we should learn from the experience of our trans-Atlantic cousins.
The complete Telegraph article can be found here.
