Grandmother wins cancer drug fight

8:41am Sunday 12th October 2008

A grandmother with terminal cancer who faced moving to Scotland to get life-saving drugs free on the NHS has won her battle with health bosses in England to fund the medication that is keeping her alive.

The landmark ruling means that other cancer sufferers in the area that may benefit from the drug will now be given Tarceva on the NHS.

Carol Rummels, from Stoke Lodge, in Bristol, was given just two months to live after being diagnosed with brain and lung cancer last summer but after taking the drug Tarceva the tumours shrank, prolonging her life by another 12 months.

But over the past six months she has been handing over £1,500 from her savings every month to pay for the tablets.

In Scotland the drug is free on the NHS, but in South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust had previously refused to fund the treatment saying it would not "routinely" fund the drug, but would consider each individual case.

But on Friday health bosses made a dramatic U-turn and told Mrs Rummels they would pay for the drug after she appealed against the decision.

Mrs Rummels, 61, says she was delighted with the decision which now sets a precedent.

She said today: "When I read the letter I was shocked, I couldn't believe it.

"The great part is that they have now got to give this funding for everyone in South Gloucestershire who needs Tarceva and that makes me feel really good because this is not just for me, it may not be for the whole of England but a corner of it is good enough."

Mrs Rummels and her husband Bruce have already spent more than £13,000 of their life savings on the drug which has shrunk her tumours significantly.

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