Cancer sufferer left waiting for medicine

11:55am Tuesday 13th December 2005

HOSPITAL red tape is preventing a breast cancer sufferer from getting the life-saving medicine she needs.

Janine McDonald has been promised the wonder drug Herceptin free on the NHS.

But a lack of communication between Lewisham PCT and Guy's Hospital has put the treatment back two weeks.

And she is still waiting to hear when she will receive the drugs.

Last month, the PCT agreed to fund the 36-year-old's lifeline treatment following Patricia Hewitt's announcement on October 5 to make Herceptin available to all breast cancer victims.

Ms McDonald will be the first person in Lewisham to take Herceptin without being a secondary cancer sufferer.

Until five weeks ago she was paying for the £40,000 drug privately using money inherited from her mum, who died of breast cancer two years ago.

But this year she ran out of funds and appealed to medical staff to help her.

Now she claims a lack of communication between medical professionals is responsible for the delay in receiving the treatment.

Herceptin needs to be taken every three weeks and she is now overdue by two weeks.

Ms McDonald, from Brookmill Road, Deptford, said: "It is not any one person's fault but it seems to be a problem with bureaucracy. I feel like a guinea pig."

The mother-of-one has had a double mastecomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy since she was diagnosed.

And she sees Herceptin as her last chance to kill the cancer.

She said: "I hope I am making it easier for people to follow behind me in the future.

"If you have breast cancer and want to be prescribed Herceptin, you need to ask your PCT."

She added: "I had to bite the bullet and ask Lewisham PCT. You have to if you want to fight for your life."

The former dental nurse said she will keeping fighting for her 13-year-old son, Sam.

She added: "I don't want him to lose his mum and suffer the pain of what I went through when I lost mine."

Lewisham PCT say they are waiting for Guy's Hospital to confirm their letter of December 5 informing of them of the decision to fund Ms McDonald's treatment.

Guy's Hospital was unavailable to comment.

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