Shropshire cancer sufferer in treatment funding row

A Shropshire cancer sufferer today hit out at health bosses he claims are refusing to stump up cash for treatment which could save his life.

Simon Coates, of Loppington, near Wem, suffers from carcinoid tumour syndrome and needs £30,000 to have radio targeted therapy to prolong his life.

But the 61-year-old has hit out at health bosses after failed attempts to secure the funding from the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust (PCT) and other sources.

Mr Coates fears he may be forced to find the cash himself by remortgaging his house if he can't secure the funding from elsewhere.

He discovered he had a tumour in his abdomen about 12 months ago which has now spread to his liver and lungs.

Mr Coates said today: "I am very unimpressed with the PCT to say the least.

"This treatment is desperately needed to prolong my life and I might have to re-mortgage my house to be able to pay for it. At 61, this is not what I want to be doing.

"I am taking medication, but this doesn't seem to be working so I have been recommended radio targeted therapy.

"It will cost £30,000, take place over nine months and involve three separate treatments."

Dr Julie Davies, of Shropshire County PCT, said: "The PCT doesn't comment in detail about individual cases in order to respect patients' confidentiality.

"But we very much understand how important the decisions are for patients and their families when a particular non-routine treatment has been requested.

"We therefore look very closely at the clinical aspects of each individual case, and the clinical effectiveness of the treatment.

"Cases can also be referred to the West Midlands cancer drugs committee for them to consider the clinical grounds for it, and sometimes both the PCT and then the regional committee have to reach the difficult conclusion that there is not enough clinical evidence on the effectiveness of that treatment in order to support the request in that instance."

By James Pugh