The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7226 p771
30 November 2002

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

Related websites
CancerBACUP (www.cancerbacup.org.uk)

Cancer funding not enough to modernise

Cancer networks in England say that current funding arrangements will make it difficult to modernise cancer services in line with Government targets.

A CancerBACUP survey of networks revealed that half of respondents (22 out of the 34 networks in England) received less money for 2002–03 than they expected. Many said the shortfall was 25 per cent or more, making it difficult to invest in additional staff or update equipment. A quarter of respondents said allowing networks to take direct charge of their own finances would improve the services they provide.

The survey did not investigate the impact of funding drug treatments, but a spokeswoman for CancerBACUP told The Journal: "Respondents did comment that they felt that treatments recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence had to be funded." She added that this financial pressure meant other aspects of cancer care suffered