£50m extra for access to cancer drugs

An extra £50m is being made available this year to help cancer patients access new drugs, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said yesterday.

The money will go towards medicines recommended by doctors but deemed too expensive to be given on the NHS.

The coalition Government had pledged to bring in a cancer drugs fund in April 2011 but the new cash will be available from October, six months earlier than planned.

It follows a review by national cancer director Prof Sir Mike Richards which found that the UK lagged behind other countries with regard to newer cancer drugs.

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