MORE details have emerged of how the Government’s £50m emergency cancer drug fund will be allocated.

The Northern Echo has learnt that each region will be asked to set up its own application process to decide who gets access to new cancer drugs.

It follows concerns expressed by cancer charities that the arrangements could increase red tape and delay funding for patients who are trying to extend their lives.

This week, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced that extra money would be available from October.

The cash is intended to make it easier for cancer specialists to prescribe expensive new drugs to their patients.

In recent years, The Northern Echo has highlighted a string of cases where terminally-ill patients were denied life-extending drugs that are widely available in Europe and the US.

This was usually because the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) had ruled that the drug represented poor value for money.

Until October, cancer specialists who want access to new drugs not approved by Nice will still have to apply to exceptional case panels hosted by their local primary care trust.

In October, this will be replaced by a new system.

So far, the Department of Health has only said that doctor-led regional panels will decide whether or not to override Nice guidance in individual cases.

Mike Hobday, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, told The Northern Echo: “One of the things that is not clear at the moment is whether the doctor goes to this new panel or goes first to the primary care trust and then to the new panel.”

The new system had to allow decisions to be taken rapidly, he added.

In response to questions from The Northern Echo, a Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Patients will access the cancer funding through their treating specialists and individual patients should continue to discuss treatment options with their specialists to decide what the best treatment is for them.”

The spokeswoman added that each regional panel – including one in the North-East and one in Yorkshire – will have its own application process.