Blair challenged on cancer drug

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has challenged the Prime Minister over a decision to deny a potentially life-saving cancer drug to a former mayor of Oswestry.

Richard Burman cannot be prescribed the lung cancer drug Tarceva because it has not been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in England and Wales, despite being available in Scotland.

Mr Paterson raised Mr Burman's case in Prime Minister's Question Time yesterday, when Tony Blair refused a meeting but asked the MP to write to him with the details.

Today Councillor Burman, of Porthywaen, said he was "frustrated and really angry" with NICE, while the MP said the former mayor faced premature death unless he moved to Scotland.

Mr Burman was diagnosed with lung cancer early in 2006 when undergoing scans prior to a triple heart bypass.

He said: "They hoped they could operate on it at the same time as the heart bypass but unfortunately it was too risky. That was last May and since then we have been banging against a brick wall.

"Tarceva is a drug for a specific type of lung cancer recommended for me by a senior oncologist at Christie's Hospital.

"The trouble is we live in Shropshire and the primary care trust is not able to prescribe this drug because it is not NICE licensed - it is in Scotland, France, Spain, Germany and USA and all those other places.

"It can be prescribed but only if each individual case is looked at on its merit. The PCT turned me down. I can appeal against the decision."

Mr Burman believes about 2,000 people in England and Wales need the drug. He has been told a different drug, Docetaxel, which is licenced, would not be effective for him.

Mr Paterson said Docetaxel costs the same as Tarceva.

He added: "This is not a cost issue. For the same money he could have Tarceva and his quality of life would be enormously improved, and he would have a much better chance of survival.

"I will not accept that a particular drug can be prescribed to a British taxpayer with a Scottish address, but not to a British taxpayer with a Shropshire address. We have a national health service and Shropshire people have the right to expect the same service."

By Suzanne Roberts