APPENDIX 22
Memorandum submitted by Professor M J
Lind, the Academic Department of Oncology, The University of Hull
I still remain very concerned about the ability
of clinical researchers such as myself to undertake research with
reference the NHS Cancer Plan. I think there is still an issue
about the funding of new drugs and that this has not been sorted
out. It was unfortunately dealt with by the Department of Health
in a very poor fashion in that money earmarked for NICE drugs
in particular did not seem to reach the providers and I think
that you will find that many Cancer Centres and indeed Cancer
Units are still struggling with their cytotoxic drug budgets.
With regards to research, I think that the issue
of excess service treatment costs whereby if a trial is carried
out in the NHS involving technology or drugs that cost more than
the standard cost, this excess service treatment cost has to be
borne by the purchasers, which are now the PCTs, is a very poor
mechanism. Indeed, there are many instances of purchasing authorities
refusing to fund these excess service treatment costs and this
will jeopardise research. In my own Institution this nearly came
to a crisis when we had obtained a grant for a major research
project only to be told that we might have to hand it back because
the excess service treatment costs could not be met.
With regards to the Virtual National Cancer
Research Institute I think that this is a good idea however I
would not wish to see cancer research funded entirely in the big
centres. This will lead to a stifling of innovation and I think
it is very important to have innovation in cancer research because
we know that many of our treatments are ineffective. There are
a number of small centres in which I include Hull and myself which
do not have access to the large Cancer Research Funders' Forum
and whose departments are not funded by these agencies and clearly
will be at risk if it is decided that funds will be concentrated
only in the Cancer Research Funders' own core institutions.
With regards to your third point, the issue
of cancer registration and its implications for data protection,
I am glad that the Health and Social Care Act has now been passed
and will allow the Secretary of State the mechanism by which to
ensure cancer registration continues in an orderly manner. My
major concern is that the Cancer Registry's modernisation document
calls for electronic data transfer. Whilst I am in no way opposed
to this, I think that Trusts are struggling with their information
systems and I would therefore be very suspicious of the validity
of this data and there needs to be modernisation of the information
systems with close quality control of the data that is transmitted
by them.
I think that the new Cancer Research Networks
are an excellent idea. We have just become one and I am very excited
about that. However it is too early to say whether they are going
to bring the benefits that are required.
M J Lind
Foundation Professor of Oncology
4 December 2001
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