2011年5月8日星期日

Man who inspired Government cancer pledge is refused NHS treatment

Clive Stone so impressed Mr Cameron with his battle to improve access to NHS treatment for cancer that the Conservative leader announced the pledge from the retired bank manager's home, during last year's general election campaign.
On Wednesday, Mr Stone, who suffers from liver cancer, and lives in the Prime Minister's Witney constituency, will go to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE for services to cancer patients.
But on Friday he learned that his own plea for NHS treatment to remove a tumour in his brain has been rejected.
On Wednesday, the same day Mr Stone travels to London to be honoured by the Queen for his contribution to cancer care, health bossClive Stone so impressed Mr Cameron with his battle to improve access to NHS treatment for cancer that the Conservative leader announced the pledge from the retired bank manager's home, during last year's general election campaign.

On Wednesday, Mr Stone, who suffers from liver cancer, and lives in the Prime Minister's Witney constituency, will go to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE for services to cancer patients.

But on Friday he learned that his own plea for NHS treatment to remove a tumour in his brain has been rejected.

On Wednesday, the same day Mr Stone travels to London to be honoured by the Queen for his contribution to cancer care, health bosses will consider a bid to fund his case as an "exceptional" case.

Since being diagnosed with kidney cancer three years ago, Mr Stone, 63, has undergone nine operations to remove tumours, which have now spread to his brain.

Two of those tumours have been removed, but surgeons have said the only way they can remove the remaining one is to use Gamma Knife treatment, which does less damage to surrounding tissues than conventional surgery.

But Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) says it does not routinely fund the operations, and the Government pledge pay for all cancer drugs requested by an NHS consultant does not cover treatments other than medication.

Mr Stone, whose wife Jan suffers from advanced breast cancer, said he felt "angry and desperate" that despite his fight to improve treatment for cancer patients, he was now facing another battle.

His campaign group Justice for Kidney Patients has brought hundreds of patients to meet drug rationing bosses, and battled in parliament.

Mr Stone said: "David Cameron was sitting on my sofa when he announced the cancer drugs fund. I felt very emotional to hear his words; it offered so much hope to people with cancer. I remember on that day, in April of last year, I said to him, 'Don't let us down'.

"I can't believe that on the one hand the Government is thanking me for services to cancer patients, but meanwhile the NHS is prepared to refuse me the only treatment that can help me."

Mr Stone said he felt angry that despite Government pledges to help cancer sufferers, local NHS administrators across the country were routinely blocking requests for many types of treatment.

He said: "At the moment my consultants have to prove that I am exceptional, that I deserve a chance more than anyone else does. That is not what I want: what I want is for the NHS to give all of us a fair chance."

A spokesman for Oxfordshire PCT said: "When we are presented with a treatment request which is not routine it is normal practice to have it considered by an exceptional cases panel.

"This serves to both assess its clinical appropriateness and funding. Mr Stone's case will be given full consideration at the meeting this week."
es will consider a bid to fund his case as an "exceptional" case.
Since being diagnosed with kidney cancer three years ago, Mr Stone, 63, has undergone nine operations to remove tumours, which have now spread to his brain.

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