In what seems like an about-face, the British government says that it will now allow patients to pay privately for cancer drugs and other end-of-life treatments without having to meet the full cost of their NHS care if they choose to do so.
But – and it’s a big but -- NICE, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, is expected to introduce a big increase in the threshold to assess whether such treatments for relatively rare conditions are cost-effective.
In other words, NICE is going to even further restrict access to critical care – particularly for cancer patients.
Alan Johnson, the health secretary, told the Daily Telegraph at the weekend he wants "a fair system that doesn't deny people essential treatment unduly.”
Welcome to “benevolent government healthcare.”
But – and it’s a big but -- NICE, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, is expected to introduce a big increase in the threshold to assess whether such treatments for relatively rare conditions are cost-effective.
In other words, NICE is going to even further restrict access to critical care – particularly for cancer patients.
Alan Johnson, the health secretary, told the Daily Telegraph at the weekend he wants "a fair system that doesn't deny people essential treatment unduly.”
Welcome to “benevolent government healthcare.”
