A CANCER patient whose local NHS trust refused to fund life-extending treatment has criticised the continuing difficulties UK patients face in getting access to the latest drugs.

Graeme Johnstone, 54, who has advanced kidney cancer, says the present system for getting new drugs to the patients who need them is totally inadequate and needs to be reformed.

Mr Johnstone’s comments were made on the day that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) advised the NHS not to pay for Tyverb, a drug shown to be effective against advanced breast cancer, that is widely available in Europe, but costs about £25,000 a year.

The decision led to Dr Alison Jones, a cancer specialist at the Royal Free Hospital in London, warning of the gulf developing between provision of cancer drugs in the UK and other comparable countries.

The Nice decision was taken despite an offer from the drug’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, to bear the cost of the first three months of treatment.

The coalition Government has said it will put aside an additional £200m to pay for new cancer drugs – but figures from drug manufacturers and Nice suggests that the cost of new drugs could be more like £600m.

Mr Johnstone, who only has one lung as a result of surgery, spoke out after health bosses turned down his application for treatment with Everolimus a second time.

It followed an appeal endorsed by his consultant, Professor Robert Hawkins from the elite Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.

Everolimus is widely available in France and Canada and has a proven track record.

But Nice believes it does not represent good value for money.

Mr Johnstone, of Middleton St George, near Darlington, said the real problem facing the NHS is that the present system for getting new drugs to the patients who need them is “totally inadequate”.

The chartered accountant has survived for three years because he was included in a clinical trial for another new drug called Recentin, but his consultant wants to be able to prescribe Everolimus if Recentin stops working.

Mr Johnstone said: “The drugs which have been requested for me are licensed for use in Europe the US and Canada. So they have already been assessed as safe and effective.

“The UK Government is giving £6.4bn to the European Union in the next 12 months. This is taxpayers money.

“Well, charity begins at home, and its about time the needs of our people are satisfied before one more penny is contributed to the EU.”

A spokeswoman for NHS County Durham and Darlington said funding had been declined under the PCT’s exceptional circumstances guidelines because of Nice guidance and the lack of exceptionality.