Seven times as many cancer sufferers are turning to crowdfunding for treatment not available on the NHS
2,348 appeals were set up by cancer patients on fundraising site JustGiving last year
THE NUMBER of Brits turning to crowdfunding to pay for cancer treatment unavailable on the NHS has rocketed seven-fold in just a year.
A desperate 2,348 appeals were set up by cancer patients or their loved ones on the country’s biggest donor website last year.
Together they secured £4.7million pounds from well-wishers, to pay privately for drugs or treatment abroad.
It comes as health bodies in England are increasingly rationing care and denying cancer patients life-extending drugs that are deemed “too expensive”.
The number of appeals hosted on JustGiving has surged 672 per cent, from just 304 in 2015.
And the total amount donated has increased by 780 per cent, from £530,519 over the same period.
Greg Gilbert, the lead singer and guitarist of the Delays, is among those seeking help from the public to pay for treatment abroad.
He has been diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer, which has spread to his lungs – but the NHS does not fund the drug or treatment the dad-of-two needs.
The USA, Germany and Mexico were the most popular destinations for treatment on JustGiving last year.
Over a fifth of those looking for treatment travelled to the US for their care, a 1,595 per cent increase from 2015.
Immunotherapy drugs – which help the body’s own immune system fight off the disease – were the most popular treatment patients sought money for.
Some 136 people raised funds for this purpose, compared to only six the year before.
Many were also seeking help in obtaining proton beam therapy, made famous by the case of five-year-old Ashya King, who parents fled with him abroad for treatment in 2014.
Charles Wells, from JustGiving, said: “Over the last twelve months we’ve seen more and more people crowdfunding to raise money for cancer treatments that aren’t available on the NHS.
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“It can be a practical way for friends, family and the community to come together and help, as well as providing a lifeline for people by giving them access to pioneering treatments when they’ve been given a cancer diagnosis.”
Dr Clive Peedell, a consultant oncologist at James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, said: “The vast majority of proven effective treatments for cancer are funded by the NHS.
“This includes immunotherapy for a number of indications including lung cancer, which is my own field.
“However, funding pressures are likely to pressurise the current system even further and we could see it break down in future.
“It is therefore very worrying to see this trend of crowdfunding for cancer drugs.
“It would be interesting to review all the cases to find out how many are genuinely appropriate. I worry that some patients may be trying to access treatment that may not be beneficial.
“Worse still, there may be significant extra costs involved, especially if patients pay privately or travel abroad.