Breast cancer drug promise must be backed by funding - Webb

6.16.54pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 6th Oct 2005

Commenting on today's announcement that all women with early stage breast cancer are to be tested to see if they could benefit from the drug Herceptin, Steve Webb MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said:

"This announcement is extremely welcome for the thousands of women suffering from breast cancer who could benefit from this drug. Ministers must now ensure that once it is licensed, patients who might benefit from Herceptin can receive it as soon as possible.

"If the government simply tells primary care trusts they can pay for this drug without ensuring that the funding is available, it will put trusts in a difficult position. The Government must ensure that local trusts, who hold the purse strings of the NHS, have sufficient funds to fulfil the promises Ministers have made today.

"It is vital that the needs of those suffering from lower profile conditions are also addressed. At the moment the process for licensing drugs and approving their use in the NHS is taking too long. Speeding up this process would benefit many people waiting for potentially life saving treatmentswhich are stuck in the queue to be approved."