Evaluation of affordability should be made in paralel with effectiveness and safety by the Medicine Control Agency. It is ridiculous that new medicines should be delayed by 2-3 years at considerable expense. NICE should be abolished

£30000 buys longer lasting results spent on hip replacements

anthony byrne, Camberley,

"the NHS cannot provide immortality and we all die of something sooner or later"

Phil, I do admire your principles and hope you get a chance to put them into practice yourself, without too much delay. Brave man!

helena, London,

does anyone at all believe that NICE is independent of the Treasury or government generally? - I certainly don't

peter c, devizes, wessex

Even if you doubled the NHS Drug Budget tomorrow we would still end up having this debate over drugs only at a higher limit. Medical Insurance Companies won't pay for these drugs either. We simply have to face the fact the NHS cannot provide immortality and we all die of something sooner or later...

Phil, Lancaster, England

Is it not remarkable that NICE can support feeding drugs (statins) to millions of people costing £billions when 99% will not benefit (Prof Boyle) all on the grounds of "Risk Assessment"(aka diagnosis?) when the assessment is only 1% correct? Meanwhile they ignore the adverse reactions.

M. Cawdery, Portadown, Co. UK, EU (now)

Two questions: 1. how much money has the NHS wasted in the last few years on IT projects like 'choose and book' etc? Not to mention on management consultants? 2. Who decided this was more 'cost effective' than giving cancer patients the hope of a few more months with their families?

Saph, London,

I would love to know how much NICE costs the taxpayer each year - I'd like to think it was a small organisation with no-index linked pensions and the minimum statutory leave and sick pay/leave arrangements for staff, and, of course, no private health care scheme. Am I right?

Sarah, Carcassonne, France

Those of us involced in the less emotive areas of care of the elderly, people with mental health problems would welcome this money for longer lasting benefits, hip operations, nursing care, psychotherapists etc.

anthony byrne, Camberley,

This is an absolute disgrace - these drugs are clearly very effective and important therapies. The whole basis for the NHS needs reappraised to meet todays world but Labour is far to busy trying to bail out over exuberence in the UK's housing market (amongst other things) instead of focusing on NHS

S Smyth, Edinburgh,

My father was fortunate to have been on the clinical trial for the use of Sutent for his advanced kidney cancer. It did not work for him but it did prolong his life for nearly a year. Has anyone asked the pharms why the high costs?surely the costs can be amortised across all their other products?

taryn, kuala lumpur, malaysia

We can find the £40k a year to keep a criminal in a hotel, whoops i mean gaol.I think the time has come for the population to be credited with a points system for National insurance contributions,if you have a maximum credit then you get whatever you need.Spend it where it has been paid in,

Kenneth O'Boyle, Perth, UK

If you are going to withold due to cost because 'the money would be better spent elsewhere' then please extend that to stopping the other stupid use of funds:

Fertility treatment (with a 10% chance of success)
Elective plastic sugery (except disfigurement repair)
Bed blocking
Treating foreigners

David, Hemel Hempstead, UK

The price of some cancer drugs is high for two principal reasons. Firstly, the cost of years spent in development. And secondly, those costs can only be amortised across a very small patient pool. Things are easier when developing drugs for a very common condition.

Chris Palmer, Southampton,

My husband did not respond to Interferon but has been on Sutent for 32 months and is still doing well. His side effects have been well within the realm of quality of life. We are very thankful for the prolonging of his life to almost three years and we hope counting.

Karen Ross, Fredericton, Canada

Why is there never any discussion about the price charged by the company for the drug? If the NHS is the one main potential buyer of the of these drugs in the UK then surely there is a responsibility to negotiate for the lowest possible price.

Steve Jan, Sydney, Australia

There is only a limited amount of money available and it needs give the best value of life for the whole population. £30000 on a single person is still a huge amount of money. Maybe if they bring in co-pay it would let people find the difference between 30K and the cost, in this case 18k.

Ian, Tokyo, Japan

My Father has been on the drug Sutent and it has extended his life far more than the suggested six months in this article, it's more like three years.What value can you put on life when the NHS spends billions treating drunks every weekend and recieves not a penny from the drinks companies and pubs

John, Leeds, Yorkshire

Go and ask Northern Rock for the money.

J Palmer, Reading,