N I C E Cancer Drug Rejection

[Zacs-Master]

How can the above organisation be all for promoting Clinical Excellence when they reject a new drug. Where does the 'Excellence' fit in to that scenario?

[Svejk]

£90,000 for 6 months?

[Zacs-Master]

Yes, but if it's excellent as a treatment surely they're going against their own ethos? May be they should be called NICEBOIIE NICE But Only If Its Economical.

[Daffy6543]

I think when the costs outweigh the benefits they are right.
As svejk said, £90,000 for an extra six months of life? Not worth it in my opinion unless the person can fund it themselves.

[237SJ]

The real culprits are the drugs companies who hold peoples` lives to ransom.

[237SJ]

Maybe when the cancer drugs fund stops paying for it we can purloin a little of the money that we give away in foreign aid and help our own citizens for once.

[Svejk]

sadly, these financial decisions have been and always will have to be taken.

[Zacs-Master]

But surely 'excellence' doesn't have a price tag.

[Daffy6543]

You can't expect the drug companies to give the drugs away when they have spent millions of pounds on research and development to produce the drugs.

[Zacs-Master]

Never said anything about giving them away.

[Daffy6543]

My last post was in answer to 237SJ saying the drug companies hold people's lives to ransom.

[Zacs-Master]

237 never mentioned giving them away either. I think you've jumped to that conclusion.

[237SJ]

How`s your Dad, Zacs?

[Zacs-Master]

I'm afraid he died about 6 weeks ago 237. How kind of you to remember. It was in a wonderful hospice and he just slipped away pain free (I hope) in the end.

[237SJ]

Oh Gosh, sorry - I didn`t know. My condolences.

[ummmm]

Sorry to hear that, Zacs :-(

[black_cat51]

Is £90k "worth it" for a possible extra six months of (good quality?) life?
2 answers
1) if you are the person in question with cancer, Yes
2) if you are a publicly funded body with a finite amount of money to spend on all healthcare for all people, No.

[Zacs-Master]

Thanks both. Very kind.

[black_cat51]

ps, your other answer appeared while i was typing - i'm sorry if i sounded insensitive :(

[Daffy6543]

I'm sorry for your loss Zacs-Master.

Maybe I did read too much into the post, it seemed like the poster was criticising the cost to the public of the drugs.

[Zacs-Master]

black_cat; my argument is not about the affordability but of a body which is there to promote excellence in clinical care. I just can't reconcile the word 'excellence' and the rejection of a life enhancing drug.