'The tumour's grown... and I'm running out of time'

DYING cancer patient Kay Hopkins has been told by Britain's medicines regulator to wait until January to find out if she can have a drug which may add years to her life.

She was given the date yesterday as she confronted leaders of the National Institute Of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in North Staffordshire about why she had been denied Sutent for her kidney tumour.

But choking back the tears, the great-grandmother said: "It will be another three months after that for my primary care trust to fund it. The tumour's grown now – it's going towards my liver and I'm running out of time."

Mrs Hopkins, aged 70, of Willowcroft Way, Harriseahead, came face-to-face with the NICE decision-makers during their visit to the Potteries to hold a routine board meeting. In a packed audience at Hartshill's Medical Institute for a question and answer session with NICE representatives, she sat alongside two women from Congleton and Birmingham benefiting from Sutent because their primary care trusts (PCTs) had paid for it ahead of any ruling.

In front of more than 50 doctors, health officials, patients and campaigners, the retired nurse told NICE chief executive Andrew Dillon: "What is the difference between Birmingham and Stoke people? The NHS was set up for the whole nation.

"I worked in it until retiring at 60, then stayed another eight years to help out.

"I have never before made a call on the NHS, yet when I do they turn their backs on me and say I am not exceptional enough to get funding, as if I am not a worthwhile patient or worthwhile person. There are people in this room who have had the chance which I should also be given."

Admitting he agreed with her, Mr Dillon, pictured, said: "There should not be a situation where people from Birmingham get treatment, but people from Stoke don't, and the reason we make guidelines is to stop that happening.

"Our guidelines override any local funding decisions.

"With Sutent we will produce final guidelines next January.

"This should have been done before now but we were not asked to make recommendations on it until long after the drug had been licensed. We do not know why the PCT in North Staffordshire made the decision on your case and it is up to them to justify it locally."

NICE chairman Sir Michael Rawlins agreed it was "obscene" that a postcode lottery was still in operation but said it was prevented by law from looking at new drugs until they had been referred by the Government.

He added: "At times we have to wait an interminably long time for referrals but we are now in the last few days of that happening."