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Cancer Drugs Fund

Request

Dear Sir/Madam,

Under Freedom of information Act, please could you provide the following information regarding to Interim Cancer Drugs Fund (ICDF) and Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF)? The information collected will be used for my research paper.

1.       The number of applications/approvals/refused/withdraw for ICDF and CDF by month  (from October 2010 to August 2011)

2.       The number of applications for Individual Funding Requests by month (from October 2010 to August 2011)

3.       Actual expenditure for 2010/11 (Oct2010 to March 2011) and for 2011/12 (April 2011 to August 2011)

4.       Forecasts of Spending for 2011/12,2012/13 and 2013/14 (if available)

5.       Time taken for clinical panel to consider the applications

6.       Do you provide a list of priority drugs?

7.       If yes, how many drugs have been approved?

I also attached a spreadsheet for the above questions.

Many thanks for your help

Our Response

I refer to your email requesting information in respect of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do not hold all of the information that you have requested.  I will address each of your queries in turn:

1.         The number of applications/approvals/refused/withdraw for ICDF and CDF by month  (from October 2010 to August 2011)

 

2.         The number of applications for Individual Funding Requests by month (from October 2010 to August 2011)

  • NHS East Midlands does not hold this information

3.         Actual expenditure for 2010/11 (Oct 2010 to March 2011) and for 2011/12 (April 2011 to August 2011)

  • The actual expenditure at 31/3/11 can be found on the October - end March ICDF monitoring report.  This report also shows the total expenditure committed.  This larger sum is the cost if all patients complete treatment cycles applied for.  Monitoring reports from April 2011 - August 2011 show the expenditure committed only.

4.         Forecasts of Spending for 2011/12,2012/13 and 2013/14 (if available)

  • NHS East Midlands does not hold this information

5.         Time taken for clinical panel to consider the applications

  • The monitoring reports indicate that most applications are made for drugs on the priority drugs list.  NHS East Midlands is assured by the East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group (http://www.emscg.nhs.uk/Default.aspx) who administer the CDF, that these are processed well within the 10 day target for handling applications

6.         Do you provide a list of priority drugs?

  • See Summary Of Clinically Agreed Drugs & Indications on website

7.         If yes, how many drugs have been approved?

  • See above

I hope that this information is of use.  If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask us to review our decision by writing to:-

Mr Moosa Patel
Director of Corporate Affairs
NHS East Midlands
Octavia House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10 5QG

If at the conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted at:-

The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF