Access to treatment
Most people living in the UK use free healthcare. In Northern Ireland, this is Health and Social Care (HSC). In England, Scotland and Wales this is called the National Health Service (NHS).
Once you are diagnosed your cancer specialist will recommend the best treatment for you. Some treatments are licensed for a particular cancer type. But it does not mean that the NHS or HSC will fund them.
Your specialist might think that a specific treatment could be of benefit to you. If this treatment is not available on the NHS or HSC, there might be other ways to access it.
Independent organisations need to approve new treatments. Only then can doctors prescribe them on the NHS. These organisations base their recommendations on whether the treatment:
benefits patients
offers good value for money
They take different factors into account including:
cost effectiveness
evidence from clinical trials
input from patient organisations, health professionals, experts, and other interested parties such as the drug company
The process is slightly different for each country in the United Kingdom.
It's always best to talk to your specialist about your treatment first. There might be reasons why you can't have a particular treatment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation. It decides which medicines and treatments are available on the NHS in England. The guidance includes information for the public explaining who can have the medicine or treatment.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) advises the NHS in Scotland. Its decisions are separate from those made by NICE.
The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) advises NHS Wales. They generally follow NICE decisions but can also issue their own guidance.
The Department of Health usually follow NICE decisions. There is a list published of all the approved NICE decisions in Northern Ireland.
Talk to your specialist if you think a treatment might help you but it isn’t available. They can tell you:
whether this is the best treatment for your cancer at this particular time
if there is any reason why you shouldn’t have the treatment, such as other health conditions or side effects you’ve had from previous treatments
other ways you might be able to access the treatment if it's suitable for you
Crowdfunding is a way of raising money. It works by asking large numbers of people to each give small amounts of money. People use it for many things including paying for medical treatment.
Crowdfunding is being used more and more to help raise money for non NHS cancer treatments. It might be to pay for treatments that are:
being reviewed by NICE or the SMC for use in the NHS
available privately or abroad but are not available on the NHS
not tested for your cancer type or haven’t completed clinical trials
unproven (alternative) treatments and doctors don’t know how well they work, if at all
It is understandable that you may search for other treatment options. Doctors have concerns about people wanting to pay for unproven (alternative) treatments. They could damage your health and cost thousands of pounds.
Read more about the safety of alternative therapies
Remember that cancer treatments available on the NHS have gone through clinical trials. If you think about having a non NHS treatment, you should talk to your healthcare team first.
Make sure that you know what the treatment is and why it isn’t available on the NHS. Check on all the costs involved. This includes not only the treatment, but accommodation, travel and any extra costs of caring for you while on the treatment. You may need to make repeated trips to the hospital or clinic.
The best access to new and experimental treatments is through a clinical trial. Talk to your cancer specialist about how to take part in a clinical trial.
You might feel disappointed if you can’t have the treatment you would like. This can be very difficult to come to terms with. You might feel a range of emotions, including anger.
It can be helpful to talk to your healthcare team. You might be able to talk with other people in a similar situation to you. It can be helpful to share experiences.
Visit Cancer Chat, our online forum
Patient support services
If you still believe you aren’t getting the right treatment, contact the patient support service in your local hospital. They may be able to help you.
In England, contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
In Scotland, contact the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS)
In Northern Ireland, you can get in touch with the Patient and Client Council
In Wales, you can contact Llais
You can also contact your local authority. They can provide an independent advocacy service. It covers the NHS and HSC, social care and mental health services.
Last reviewed: 04 Jan 2024
Next review due: 04 Jan 2027
Drugs go through a review process. This ensures they're safe, effective, and that the benefits outweigh possible side effects.
Once a medicine has a licence, organisations will decide if it should be available as part of free healthcare.
The Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) gives people access to promising new drugs that are not yet licensed.
The Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) is a way of funding cancer drugs in England.
You might decide to access all or part of your cancer care through private healthcare. This could be at a separate, private hospital. Or you might use a private service in an NHS hospital.
There are several decisions to be made about a cancer treatment before you can have it on the NHS or HSC.
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
What to ask your doctor about clinical trials.
Meet and chat to other cancer people affected by cancer.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
