Cancer patient wins drug appeal

It has been costing Carol Rummels £1,500 per month to pay for Tarceva

Cancer patients in south Gloucestershire can now get the drug Tarceva following a change in the local primary care trust's policy.

South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) reviewed its policy not to fund the drug following an appeal by lung cancer patient Carol Rummels.

Mrs Rummels had been paying for the drug since being diagnosed last year.

Tarceva is available in Scotland, but generally only on a case-by-case basis in England.

'Exceptional' case

Carol Rummels, speaking after she received the letter from the PCT on Friday, said: "I'm shocked. I wasn't really expecting them to say yes but obviously it's a relief.

Now we can get on with the rest of our lives and hope that Carol can survive for years and years and years Bruce Rummels, husband Cancer drug access in your area

"Now we don't have to find £1,500 every month - that was putting a strain on all the family.

"It's just something you've got to go through, but since the Tarceva came in and it worked, it's been an emotional rollercoaster."

Mrs Rummels' husband, Bruce Rummels, said: "Now we can get on with the rest of our lives and hope that Carol can survive for years and years and years. That would be fantastic."

Penny Harris, of South Gloucestershire PCT, said: "Following an exceptional funding appeal panel brought by Mrs Rummels and her family, South Gloucestershire PCT has independently reviewed its commissioning decision.

"As a result, it has undertaken to fund Erlotinib (Tarceva) from today for Mrs Rummels and any other South Gloucestershire patients who would meet the revised local commissioning policy."

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