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NHS patients in top-up drugs call NHS patients in top-up drugs bid
(about 2 hours later)
The rule banning patients in Scotland from paying for medicines while continuing to access other NHS services could be scrapped. The rules banning patients in Scotland from paying for medicines while accessing NHS services need to be clarified, the health secretary said.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon pledged a review of the guidelines on "co-payments" after a report into the case by Holyrood's petitions committee. Nicola Sturgeon has pledged a review of the guidelines on "co-payments" after a report into the case by Holyrood's petitions committee.
The committee report called for more clarity on whether cancer patients can receive non-NHS drugs.The committee report called for more clarity on whether cancer patients can receive non-NHS drugs.
MSPs are set to debate the issue in the Scottish Parliament later.MSPs are set to debate the issue in the Scottish Parliament later.
The debate follows the case of Michael Gray, 53, from Buckie in Moray, who died in April from bowel cancer and needed the drug cetuximab.The debate follows the case of Michael Gray, 53, from Buckie in Moray, who died in April from bowel cancer and needed the drug cetuximab.
Although licensed in Scotland, it was not approved by NHS Grampian, although it is available on the NHS in Wales.Although licensed in Scotland, it was not approved by NHS Grampian, although it is available on the NHS in Wales.
Ms Sturgeon said: "The principle of NHS care available according to need not the ability to pay is one that I - and all of Scotland - hold dear."Ms Sturgeon said: "The principle of NHS care available according to need not the ability to pay is one that I - and all of Scotland - hold dear."
Shen pledged a review of the guidelines on "co-payments". She pledged a review of the guidelines on "co-payments".
The health secretary said patients had a right to access care in the private sector but it would not be appropriate where the NHS and private treatment were so interwoven they could not be separated. The health secretary said: "Some things are very clear. As things stand you cannot pay the NHS to access care which would not otherwise be available and there are no plans to change that principle.
"However, where different elements of care were able to be separated safely, concurrent care may well be possible," Ms Sturgeon said. "The question here is that if someone exercises their right to access some of their care in the private sector, to what extent should they be able to get the rest of their care on the NHS?"
"These are complex judgements and the purpose of the revised guidance will be to provide clinicians, NHS managers and patients with the right framework for making these decisions." Ms Sturgeon said the rules needed to be clear to prevent decisions being taken on a "case-by-case basis".
"There are some situations where the care that a patient is getting is so interwoven that you could not separate out the element to be provided privately from the elements to be provided on the NHS, without compromising patient safety and good clinical governance," she said.
"There are other cases where that might not be the case and concurrent private and NHS treatment might be possible."