In Britain, we have among the leading cancer research institutes in Europe. It is, frankly, a scandal that NHS patients are among those in Europe least likely to have access to the latest cancer medicines. Related Articles The doubling of the NHS budget has not delivered the results we deserve, because across the board Labour have refused to make the changes we need to spend money more wisely. I went through this same issue with a constituent of mine. Over two years ago, he was refused Velcade, a drug for the treatment of bone marrow cancer. The drug manufacturers interpreted the trial data to say that it could on average extend life by nine months. The local health service said that the clinical trial evidence justified only a six month estimate of extended life. At six months, they said, it wasn't cost-effective treatment. So, I suggested that the Department of Health and the manufacturers, Johnson and Johnson, share the risk. Johnson and Johnson agreed to make the drug available to the patients for whom it is clinically appropriate. They would be paid for those for whom it worked; they wouldn't get paid if it didn't work. My constituent, I should tell you, got Velcade on the NHS. More than two years later, he is still alive. I was delighted to see this week that a similar approach was taken by the drug company, Novartis in order to be able to provide Lucentis on the NHS. The NHS pays for the