At what cost? Life-saving drug withheld

Taken From: The Independent

Date published: May 26th, 2013

Dianna Illingworth diagnosed with aHUS.

Summary: A women awaiting a transplant for a rare condition that has left her kidneys gone, has had her operation cancelled because the government refused to pay for the drug that prevents the organ from being rejected. Her name is Dianne Illingworth, she is 41 years old. There are up 70 patients that are in the same position as her. They have to hold and hope the condition does not get worse until they can access the drug needed. The drug is called Eculizumab, it costs more than $300,000 per patient. Illingworth is from Newcastle and suffers from the rare atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS). It is an inherited condition. The surgery date was scheduled for February after her husband, Lee, volunteered to be the donor. The surgery was cancelled when the government did not pay for the drug. The drugs can be life-saving but are hugely expensive, because they effective such a small number of patients. A spokesperson for NHS England says: "Patients who are critically ill and who need Eculizumab urgently will receive it."

Opinion: I think that the government is right in some ways. They are not funding the drug because she does not urgently need it. She can wait, but that also puts her at risk of the condition getting worse, and the transplant not being an option. I think it is great that her husband is volunteering to donate his own organ to save her. I think if, her condition worsens the government should step up and fund for it. Otherwise they should provide it to the people that need to urgently or more than others.