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JEAN Murphy is appealing a decision by Salford Primary Care Trust to refuse funding for Sutent to treat her kidney cancer
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Campaign for drug steps up
Kathryn Ryan8/ 5/2008
THE family and friends of a woman battling Salford Primary Care Trust for a drug she says could save her life have launched a campaign against the decision.
Jean Murphy’s loved ones have been busy putting up posters and petitions against the ruling in shops, pubs and British Legions across the city.
The 62-year-old recently found out that the PCT had declined to fund Sutent to treat her kidney cancer.
She has since found out the reasons behind the decision, one of which is that she is not an ‘exceptional case’, and her lawyers have launched an appeal and family and friends have taken to the streets on her behalf.
Mrs Murphy, of Cleveland Avenue, Hope, said: "I hope everyone gets involved with the petition.
"The PCT are saying I’m not an exceptional case but if you’re going to die if you don’t get the drug then what’s more exceptional than that?"
The grandmother-of-one found out last July that she had renal cancer.
Just two months earlier she had undergone a lumpectomy for breast cancer and in February this year she discovered the renal cancer had spread to her lungs and a nearby lymph node.
She was initially treated with Interferon but reacted badly to it and has now gone eight weeks without any treatment for her cancer.
Because of her bad reaction Mrs Murphy was put on a lower dosage of Interferon and this is another reason the PCT have not funded the drug.
They say the second lot of Interferon means she has already had a second line of treatment but Mrs Murphy says that both dosages should be classed as one treatment.
Mrs Murphy, who is expecting to hear a decision on the appeal by Monday, added: "I’m beginning to feel weaker, very tired and my breathing is not as good as it was.
"There’s nothing else I can take - Sutent is my only hope.
"I’m getting a bit scared now because I feel worse and I’m on no treatment at all and these jokers are not letting me have the one thing that could help.
"I don’t think it should be up to those people it should be up to doctors and specialists - they’re the ones who know what they’re doing."
Mrs Murphy’s husband Michael, who suffers from diabetes, heart disease and Crohn’s disease, said: "It’s her life at stake.
"The PCT don’t realise what we’re going through - my wife’s up coughing at night, she’s so tired and these people don’t see that."
Mrs Murphy’s lawyers say they will take the appeal all the way to the High Court if necessary.
A spokesman for Salford Primary Care Trust said: "Our policy is to consider such requests for funding individual treatments at our commissioning panel.
"If patients wish to challenge the decision of the initial commissioning panel they have a right to request a process review, which may result in the case being re-considered afresh at a different meeting of the commissioning panel.
"We have been in touch with Mrs Murphy regarding her options around a process review.
"As Mrs Murphy’s case is still ongoing we can’t comment further."
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Got an opinion you want to share?Should less emphasis be placed on the results of tests and more emphasis on general education for children?
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I was under the impression that there are 'NHS Best Practice Guidelines' in existence... obviously the Salford PCT didn't receive them or its panel are unable to read them....
9/05/2008 at 21:09