There are private parts to the NHS system. The elite with resources, those who have medical insurance e.g. from the workplace or from their own funding who have myeloma will still have access to the drugs NHS patients will be denied.
From the drug companies perspective the UK alone does not have enough myeloma patients for them to generate huge profit from the NHS, hence high drug prices. Getting approval at European level for the drug enables it to be available across Europe if all governments are willing to fund it nationally.
The price of these drugs is very variable depending on country as an article in the newspaper highlighted a while back. I think there is a case for setting a price at the EU level with the drug companies so that the cost can be lowered. But now with arguments against staying in the EU emerging… The issue of proper funding for the NHS to meet population needs compounds things.
Patients may wish to avoid politics, we just want the best treatments to give us life. But how taxation revenue is spent is political unfortunately and ignoring this makes the politicians and those serving them take the actions that we now find untenable.
