Euro-MP demands UK Government to speed up approval of cancer drugs

5.43.40pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 5th Oct 2005

A report put before European Parliamentarians today has singled out the UK for being slow to introduce life saving cancer drugs for use. The report follows a dossier by the cancer charity CancerBacup, which concluded that although cancer drugs are licensed in the UK, they were not offered to patients because of bureaucratic delays.

Liz Lynne MEP, who is Co-Chair of the All Party Cancer Intergroup in the European Parliament, said today in Brussels,

"This new report is very unsettling. The UK was ranked number one in direct cancer research funding, but at the bottom of the list for the introduction of new cancer drugs. The UK has made valuable contributions to cancer research, but not to be able to access the drugs we help create is preposterous.

"Bureaucracy is often seen as a nuisance, an unfortunate by-product of the society we live in; but it should - under no circumstances - be costing lives as it is in this case. I call on the Government to take a hard look at the system for introducing medicine and streamline the process.

"Let us continue our funding goals in cancer research, cut the excess bureaucracy and red tape here in the UK and get these medicines to the people that need them. There is no excuse for medicines sitting on the shelf while the people who need them are dying."

ENDS.