My Breakthrough
29 JULY 2008
Breakthrough wants to hear your views on top-up payments
“To top-up or not to top-up – that is the question”
Date: Wednesday 3rd September
Time: 3pm – 7.15pm
Location: Central Hall, Storeys Gate, Westminster, London, SW1H 9NH
Join the debate and cast your verdict!
Breakthrough Breast Cancer would like to invite you to attend a free and innovative event on the issue of top-up payments. Breakthrough Breast Cancer is hosting a Citizens Jury to open up a debate about the consequences of additional private drugs for NHS care and find out what our stakeholders think about the many issues involved.
A Citizens Jury is an interactive event where each person is invited to become a juror to the debate, listening to a range of evidence on the issue, having the chance to ‘cross examine’ expert witnesses, and come to their own personal verdict about the consequences of additional private drugs for NHS care. We are delighted that Polly Toynbee, celebrated journalist will be joining us in the role of Judge and Chair for the Citizens Jury.
Refreshments will be available from 2.30pm and the Citizens Jury will commence at 3pm. We hope you will stay for drinks and canapés from 7.15pm.
A limited number of places are available for members of Breakthrough’s Campaigns & Advocacy Network and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. If you are a Breakthrough CAN member please RSVP to Sonya Figueroa on 020 7025 2487 or via sfigueroa@breakthrough.org.uk by Friday 8th August.
Background Information
What are top-up payments?
The term ‘top up payments’ refers to the general principle of paying for additional care on top of the care that is available to all on the NHS. As increasing numbers of advanced and expensive treatments are developed, the issue of what the NHS can, and should, pay for is receiving more and more attention.
What is the Government’s review about?
In June this year, the Government announced a review of their current position on top-ups with the intention to ‘examine current policy relating to patients who choose to pay privately for drugs that are not funded on the NHS and who, as a result, are required to pay for the care that they would otherwise have received for free on the NHS.’
The review will be led by Professor Mike Richards, National Clinical Director for cancer (England only), and will report by October 2008 to the Secretary of State for Health. Further information on the review can be found on the Department of Health’s website.
Why is the review important to people affected by breast cancer?
The existence of top ups in the NHS is a complex issue. Under current NHS practice, people who wish to receive a drug that is not normally available through the NHS are usually expected to pay for the whole of their treatment privately. Whilst on the one hand many people believe that if a patient has the financial means to pay for an additional drug then they should be allowed to do so, without having to pay for any associated NHS care. However, others fear this would result in a two-tier health system, with only the most affluent benefiting from expensive treatments. Some feel this goes against the core NHS principle of care being based on clinical need not ability to pay.
As more and more specialist and expensive treatments for cancers and other diseases are developed, there is a very real concern that the NHS will not be able to afford to pay for these future generations of treatments. The Government’s review of its policy on the consequences of additional private drugs for NHS care is an important opportunity for people affected by breast cancer to feed in their views and influence Government policy on the issue.
What is Breakthrough doing to find out what stakeholders think?
Throughout July and August 2008, Breakthrough is holding focus groups with different groups of supporters and stakeholders to find out where people stand on the issue of ‘top-ups’. The Government has asked organisations like Breakthrough to submit responses to the review by a deadline of 22nd August.
However, Breakthrough thinks this issue is too important to stop there and wants to continue to develop our own organisational understanding about the issue of top-up payments. To do this, we need to hear from our stakeholders and would like to invite you to attend “To top-up or not to top-up – that is the question” on 3rd September.
If you are a Breakthrough CAN member please RSVP to Sonya Figueroa on 020 7025 2487 or via sfigueroa@breakthrough.org.uk by Friday 8th August.
