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NHS England publishes revised process for operation of its Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF)

NHS England today published its updated procedure for evaluating drugs in the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), which will mean more effective and promising drugs will be prioritised and made available to patients.

Since it was established in 2010, more than 55,000 patients have accessed treatment through the CDF – around 2,000 every month.

Last week NHS England’s board confirmed its support for proposed changes to the evaluation process for drugs available via the CDF, after considering responses to a four-week consultation on plans set out earlier this year.

For more information view the feedback received during consultation and read the revised Standard Operating Procedure.

2 comments

  1. carol bradley says:

    This news is so worrying as this drug has provided me with good control of myeloma and I have enjoyed a quality of life that continues to improve on a monthly basis. When they first gave me this I asked how long I would take it and was told for however long it works – well it’s still working so can they stop me having it? This is so worrying.

    • NHS England says:

      Hi Carol,

      Thank you for your comment.

      The Standard Operating Procedure for the Cancer Drug Fund states: “6.11 Where a drug has been removed from the national CDF Cohort Policy List as a result of the re-prioritisation process, and it has not been commissioned by NHS England as part of a national chemotherapy funding policy or in response to a positive NICE Technology Appraisal, any patients currently
      receiving the treatment under the CDF will normally have the option to continue treatment until they and their clinician consider it appropriate to stop.”

      We hope this is helpful to you, but if you have any further concerns, please do discuss them with your clinician.

      Kind Regards
      NHS England