Just heard on the news that the government have changed their mind and will continue the cancer fund until the next general election (2years).
thats some good news for a change xx
Yes, very encouraging news. 
(I’m currently receiving eribulin, thanks to the Cancer Drugs Fund - not sure I want to stay on it for 2 years though! )
And let’s remember that the funding helps those with other types of cancer, not only bc.
Actually, the figures are even worse:
I wouldn’t usually rely on the Daily Mail as my source of information but when I googled, this article came up and it seems to summarise the problem very succinctly.
People in Northern Ireland can’t access the Cancer Drugs Fund, either.
Are there any petitions or similar so those of us in England can show our support for everyone missing out?
gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-patients-to-benefit-from-400-million-cancer-package
I think that the difference between the way that England and the rest of the UK is funded is because the rest of the UK has devolved powers and their Parliaments or Assemblies decide how the money is doled out. If you want to contact your local representative you can find them via writetothem.com/
In Scotland and Wales, not sure about Northern Ireland, I believe that everyone gets free prescriptions and doesn’t pay to park at their hospital because that was the way the devolved powers decided to spend their money. I got to Southampton General Hospital and they routinely have the most expensive parking charges in the country dailymail.co.uk/news/article-498828/2-4million-What-hospital-earned-year-parking-charges-sick-visitors.html and it seems to go up every time I go there (which is only every 3 months now I have my treatments at the local Hospice in the town where I live).
bbc.co.uk/news/health-23808682
This article explains the situation in Wales and the attitude of the Welsh Assembly Government. The problem is that there is no cancer-specific fund, just one pot of money for all illnesses and diseases. So the money is spread even further, which is probably why more than four times as many applications for funding are refused in Wales.
As an aside, we do get free prescriptions, but hospital parking charges vary according to hospital.
The following figures are pretty frightening:
"Describing the situation in Wales, Mr Cairns said: “The Rarer Cancers Foundation reported that there are 24 cancer treatments which are not routinely available in Wales, which may be available in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund. They conclude that people in Wales are five times less likely to gain access to a cancer drug, which is not routinely available, than people in England.
“They also state that if the same approval rate occurred in Wales as it does in England, 159 cancer patients in Wales would gain access to life extending treatment instead of 31 recorded.”
If you’re interested in reading the whole article, you can do so here:
walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/critics-cancer-drugs-fund-wales-2495478
Thanks for the replies…I shall now have a serious read.
We’ve had free prescriptions for cancer patients for a few years in England. And up until just recently I had assumed the Cancer fund was for all of the UK. At my hospital any chemo or rads patients get free parking. We also have sandwiches, soup, tea, coffee provided free if you’re receiving chemo…not that I ever have any appetite in hospital.
If someone is with you they can have free drink, sandwich, biscuit too. You can also have one free wig of a selection provided. There’s a wig lady who will advise, measure you up. I declined, I’m a buff, scarf, hat woman.