Mesothelioma

A more detailed study of the treatment is to be published by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, which advises English health trusts, this autumn.

In a public draft of its report, Nice recommends against prescribing the drug.

Its judgment has automatically triggered a review of Scotland's decision and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) has indicated that if nothing changes Nice's opinion would prevail.

Dr Dunlop says in a letter to the Scottish Parliament: "I find it staggering that an English healthcare bureaucracy (Nice) will make a decision that will deny Scottish patients access to a drug which our executive assessed and agreed was appropriate." He adds that he and many other Scottish oncologists have seen the benefits of Alimta in patients with malignant pleural Referring to experts consulted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who felt Nice's decision should be accepted, Dr Dunlop adds: "Their opinion is not representative of the vast majority of oncologists in this country." Dr Marianne Nicolson, lung cancer specialist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, has also backed the campaign.

Patients are often given a life expectancy of less than one year.

In Scotland, where asbestos was used heavily, especially...

It was approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium and doctors here have been prescribing it for about 18 months.

However, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) has since issued a draft recommendation that it should not be given to patients in England other than for clinical trials.

As a result, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS), which oversees the SMC, is reconsidering what should happen in Scotland.

This situation raises important questions over the devolution of health service decisions and clinical guidelines.

Dr David Dunlop, Glasgow's lead clinician for chemotherapy, has described the expected reversal of the Scottish decision as "staggering".

At a purely human level, every patient in Scotland will agree with him, especially when they read of the Orkney farmer, Gordon Norquoy, who was given only months to live, but two-and-a-half years later - as a result of being prescribed Alimta - has been able to visit Australia.

Other forms of chemotherapy had no effect on his advanced Faced with such spectacular improvement in health, it is difficult to disagree with Professor Andrew Watterson and Tommy Gorman, health researchers at Stirling University, that to deny access to such a drug is inhumane, or with Dr Marianne Nicolson of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, who has no doubt "we must do...

Alimta can extend and improve the quality of life of There is a responsibility to provide adequate medication for people who suffer from this disease, especially in view of the terrible pain many endure.

This is the only drug licensed to treat this rare form of cancer, which is terminal in all cases.

Alimta has been available in Scotland since July 2005, based on the advice of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).

However, resulting from a decision taken by an English healthcare bureaucracy, this arrangement will end.

Asbestos campaigners accept it is not appropriate to prescribe this treatment in all cases of However, access to the drug will be denied to suitable future patients on purely economic grounds.

Many employers were negligent in protecting workers from exposure to asbestos dust.

The decision of the SMC to make Alimta available on the NHS remains in the best interests of asbestos sufferers.

To deny access to the drug is inhumane.

Asbestos support groups, trades unions and many MSPs agree that this treatment should remain freely available to patients in Scotland.

...