Dr Malcolm Mulholland, chair of Patient Voice Aotearoa; Ah-Leen Rayner, chair of CANGO; Dr Rachael Hart, CEO of the Cancer Society. OPINION: Dear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister of Finance Nichola Willis, and Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac) David Seymour. In August last year a promise was made to fund 13 new cancer medicines via a $280 million ring-fenced fund to Pharmac .
According to the National election manifesto, that fund was to start on July 1 this year by reinstating the $5 prescription fee. As you stated Prime Minister, those 13 medicines are “for lung, bowel, kidney, melanoma, and head and neck cancers that provide significant clinical benefits and are funded in Australia but not in New Zealand. Under National, New Zealanders will not have to leave the country, mortgage their home, or start a Givealittle page to fund potentially lifesaving and life-extending treatments that are proven to work and are readily available across the Tasman”.
Cancer patients and advocates sat in disbelief when the Budget was announced . We have now learned that those 13 medicines may not be funded for at least a year. Patients don’t have a year to wait and will sadly have to look at all the heartbreaking scenarios your party wanted to put an end to.
Bowel cancer patients have already been waiting for 22 years, the last time a new medicine was funded to treat them. Prime Minister, you also stated, “Almost every New Zealander will have some experience with cancer .
