Last week the NHS gave up according to the BBC news. Every woman in England suffering from breast cancer will have the option of being treated with herceptin, the most efficient but expensive cancer cure. Herceptin has proved superior treating a certain kind of cancer which 15-20 percent of all breast cancer patient tend to suffer from.

Up till this change of policy herceptin medication was a kind of "post code lottery". Some NHS trusts provided herceptin (and a number of other, new medications) while others refused to pay for it. This inequality has been attacked by a militant opinions campaign led by breast cancer patients and relatives.

The NHS comment is that the costs for the new medication will mean cut backs in other parts of the budget. Less articulate patients will potentially suffer, is the message. In many countries you hear this kind of remarks:

Don´t rock the boat, wait for your turn, otherwise fellow-patients will be pushed away.

This kind of arguments reveals that the system is a slow learner. In an era of immediate access to information the system advocates expect mortally ill people to behave nicely and listen to budget reasons.

"Don´t count on having this new wonder drug - we ration it and in due time you will have a brown envelope in your post box telling you about our
decision. You might be dead by then but trust us that it will be well-balanced and fair".

No way people will tolerate this any more. A new era of consumer power is
dawning. There is an accelerating stream of new therapies. It is high time for the health care systems owners to make up their mind: rationing that kills people or radical reform to improve access to life-savers?

Johan Hjertqvist
President