Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 29 September 2011
29 Sep 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Cancer Drugs
I have already challenged that proposition and am happy to do so in greater detail in discussion with Murdo Fraser.
The second key equity issue is the risk of inequity within cancer care. Drugs are an important weapon in the battle against cancer, but they are not the only weapon. Radiotherapy and surgery are increasingly the treatments of choice. We need to invest in them too, and we need to do more to prevent cancer in the first place.
Murdo Fraser quoted Cancer Research UK, but he did not quote its opinion that the cancer drugs fund
“has been criticised for funding non-cost-effective chemotherapy treatments, rather than other, possibly more effective, interventions such as drives for earlier diagnosis or more advanced radiotherapy.”
That is a key, fundamental point. Our broader and more comprehensive approach has involved our investing £22 million in new radiotherapy equipment. For those reasons, we are committed to improving cancer survival rates through earlier detection of cancer. Our detect cancer early plan is backed up by investment of £30 million.
In short, we are committed to, and we will continue to be committed to, tackling cancer on all fronts, and we are seeing major improvements in the quality of care and outcomes for cancer patients. We will continue to prioritise further improvements through a consistent, evidence-based approach to the introduction of new medicines, treatments and support, alongside our crucial commitment to detecting cancer early. In looking to the future we will, of course, ensure that our interests are fully represented in the development of value-based pricing arrangements.
I look forward to the debate.
I move amendment S4M-00956.2, to leave out from “notes with concern” to end and insert:
“notes the Scottish Government’s significant and proactive developments in policy for the introduction and uptake of new medicines and the positive endorsement of these by the Public Petitions Committee; agrees that Scotland has robust arrangements for the introduction of newly licensed clinically and cost effective medicines, including cancer drugs, through the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which operate independently from the Scottish Government; notes that, in certain circumstances, there are opportunities for local clinically led consideration of SMC “not recommended” medicines for individual patients; notes that Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Myeloma UK and Macmillan Cancer Support do not agree that the Cancer Drugs Fund is a necessary policy measure in Scotland; notes that the Scottish Government is working with the UK Department of Health with regard to the introduction of value-based pricing, and welcomes the intention to improve cancer survival rates through the detect cancer early implementation plan, backed up by the investment of £30 million.”
09:31
The second key equity issue is the risk of inequity within cancer care. Drugs are an important weapon in the battle against cancer, but they are not the only weapon. Radiotherapy and surgery are increasingly the treatments of choice. We need to invest in them too, and we need to do more to prevent cancer in the first place.
Murdo Fraser quoted Cancer Research UK, but he did not quote its opinion that the cancer drugs fund
“has been criticised for funding non-cost-effective chemotherapy treatments, rather than other, possibly more effective, interventions such as drives for earlier diagnosis or more advanced radiotherapy.”
That is a key, fundamental point. Our broader and more comprehensive approach has involved our investing £22 million in new radiotherapy equipment. For those reasons, we are committed to improving cancer survival rates through earlier detection of cancer. Our detect cancer early plan is backed up by investment of £30 million.
In short, we are committed to, and we will continue to be committed to, tackling cancer on all fronts, and we are seeing major improvements in the quality of care and outcomes for cancer patients. We will continue to prioritise further improvements through a consistent, evidence-based approach to the introduction of new medicines, treatments and support, alongside our crucial commitment to detecting cancer early. In looking to the future we will, of course, ensure that our interests are fully represented in the development of value-based pricing arrangements.
I look forward to the debate.
I move amendment S4M-00956.2, to leave out from “notes with concern” to end and insert:
“notes the Scottish Government’s significant and proactive developments in policy for the introduction and uptake of new medicines and the positive endorsement of these by the Public Petitions Committee; agrees that Scotland has robust arrangements for the introduction of newly licensed clinically and cost effective medicines, including cancer drugs, through the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which operate independently from the Scottish Government; notes that, in certain circumstances, there are opportunities for local clinically led consideration of SMC “not recommended” medicines for individual patients; notes that Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Myeloma UK and Macmillan Cancer Support do not agree that the Cancer Drugs Fund is a necessary policy measure in Scotland; notes that the Scottish Government is working with the UK Department of Health with regard to the introduction of value-based pricing, and welcomes the intention to improve cancer survival rates through the detect cancer early implementation plan, backed up by the investment of £30 million.”
09:31
References in this contribution
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
Good morning. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-00956, in the name of Murdo Fraser, on cancer drugs and their availability in Scotland. I ...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
We have all seen newspaper headlines such as “Scots ‘worst’ for cancer survival”, “Lung cancer survival among the lowest in Europe” and Scotland “has the low...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
I welcome the debate. As all of us in the chamber will recognise, the issues are complex, emotive, sensitive and often very challenging. Because of that, how...
Murdo Fraser
Con
I entirely understand the cabinet secretary’s point about equity. However, at the heart of that very question is the fact that we are where we are in relatio...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
I have already challenged that proposition and am happy to do so in greater detail in discussion with Murdo Fraser.The second key equity issue is the risk of...
Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
Back in 2009, in response to the Public Petitions Committee inquiry, the cabinet secretary outlined three steps that her Government would take to improve acc...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, thank the Conservatives for bringing the debate on access to cancer drugs to the chamber, because it gives us all an opportunity to consider how well...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
This is a point of information rather than a question, but Jackie Baillie will be aware—if she is not, she will be soon—that as part of the improvements that...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
That will be helpful. I hope that we can access the information soon.I encourage the Scottish Government to make further improvements. I pose the question wh...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We move to the open debate. I remind members that speeches should be of four minutes. Time is really tight.09:40
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
The debate is an emotive one. I thank Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Macmillan Cancer Support and Myeloma UK for their briefing.Murdo Fraser used the word “mora...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I very much welcome the debate, which highlights dilemmas that we face now, and which will become far more acute in the near future.On a recent visit to the ...
Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
For a country that is reputedly obsessed with sport, Scotland’s health record is not good and we all know it. For much of the time that the Parliament has ex...
Alex Johnstone
Con
I will not take an intervention because I have only four minutes and need to get one key principle across.Some years ago, I visited a research unit at the Un...
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
I know that my time is limited so I will try to be brief. This debate is on another emotive subject and I take on board the story of Murdo Fraser’s constitue...
Murdo Fraser
Con
If the member had read our fully costed manifesto he would have seen that, among other things, we do not think that it is right to be giving free prescriptio...
George Adam
SNP
I am glad I did not read the manifesto. The people of Paisley have an entirely different idea. They do not want to have to decide to pay either for their mes...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Everyone has said that the debate is very emotive, and it is. There is probably no one in the chamber or watching the debate who has not been touched by canc...
Alex Johnstone
Con
Would the member concede that, although it is not the job of politicians to decide what drugs should be available, it is certainly the job of politicians to ...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I listened to yesterday’s debate on mental health in which there seemed to be agreement that it was up to clinicians to decide what to prescribe. For the sit...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Will the member give way?
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I have given way once and I have only four minutes.I wish the debate was more about prevention than about setting up a separate drugs fund. We have heard abo...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The member really needs to wind up.
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer.We should think about prevention rather than necessarily having to deal with cures all the time.09:58
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to speak in such a sensitive but crucial debate. The Scottish Conservatives are right to bring the issue to the chamber today. I su...
Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Like many in the chamber and in wider society, I have experience of losing a family member to cancer. It is worth noting that none of us in the chamber is im...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
Mr McDonald, will you conclude?
Mark McDonald
SNP
I will conclude with one final quotation from the oncology commission journal of The Lancet:“prevention is also essential and this too demands political will...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We turn to closing speeches. I call Alison McInnes, who has kindly offered to take less than her allocated time.10:05
Alison McInnes
LD
I listened carefully to the cabinet secretary’s speech this morning and found it illuminating. The situation is not as clear-cut as the Conservatives have su...