Early day motion 698

That this House welcomes the recommendation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence that the anti-cancer drug Taxol should be available routinely as a first-line treatment for women with ovarian cancer regardless of where they live; notes that as many as one-third of health authorities do not currently fund Taxol for all women who could benefit from it; recognises the financial constraints faced by health authorities; and calls on the Government to ringfence sufficient funding to pay for treatments recommended by NICE, so that patients are no longer denied access to effective drugs on the basis of cost.

at end add 'but is extremely concerned about the effect on breast cancer patients of the additional delay in issuing guidance on the use of taxanes for the treatment of breast cancer; recognises that it is estimated that several hundred women will continue to be denied these anti-cancer drugs in the delay period alone, some of whom may die prematurely as a result of the delay in publishing guidance; and joins the Cancer Research Campaign in calling on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to approve Taxotere while the appeal into Taxol takes place, so that women eho do not have the benefit of time can start to be treated efficiently and effectively with this drug.'.