Commissioning Cancer Drugs and Services. The London Cancer New Drugs Group Meeting

Commissioning cancer drugs and services. LCNDG meeting, 10 November 2008, London

Janis Smy, Senior Medical Writer, Succinct Healthcare Communications and Consultancy

Introduction

The agenda for the 2008 London Cancer New Drugs Group (LCNDG) meeting asked three key questions. How will chemotherapy fit into the broader “world class” NHS commissioning imperative? How is the role of health technology assessment (HTA) groups evolving? What are the factors that influence their decisions? According to the LCNDG chair, Professor Adrian Newland, the answers would need to tackle the current context of underinvestment in cancer care. He pointed out that the annual spend on cancer drugs in the NHS (£700 million) accounts for just 6% of the overall NHS drugs bill, leaving the UK at the bottom of the league table for expenditure on cancer care and cancer outcomes (Figure 1), compared with our neighbours in the western part of the European Union.

 

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