Cancer patients still facing ‘dangerous treatment delays', experts warn
Monthly data published by the NHS shows 74.8% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days in May, down from 76.7% in April and the third monthly fall in a row.
It's an unfortunate reality that these delays have become normalised Professor Pat Price
The Government and NHS England have set a target of March 2026 for this figure to reach 80%.
Elsewhere, the proportion of patients who had waited no longer than 62 days in May from an urgent suspected cancer referral, or consultant upgrade, to their first definitive treatment for cancer was 67.8%, down from 69.9% in April.
The target to reach 75% is also March 2026.
Professor Pat Price, oncologist and chairwoman of Radiotherapy UK, said: 'Today's cancer waiting times show yet another missed opportunity to put a stop to dangerous treatment delays.
'Patients should not be kept on the edge of their seats waiting for the chance to access the life-saving treatment they need.
'It's an unfortunate reality that these delays have become normalised.'
Right now, many people are experiencing differences in care depending on who they are or where they live, which is completely unacceptable Kate Seymour, Macmillan
Kate Seymour, head of external affairs at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: 'Behind these delays in cancer diagnosis are thousands of people hoping for clarity, support and the chance to move forward.
'Right now, many people are experiencing differences in care depending on who they are or where they live, which is completely unacceptable.
'Everyone facing cancer deserves the very best care, as quickly as possible, no matter their postcode, background, or circumstances.
Ms Seymour added that the upcoming National Cancer Plan for England 'is a real chance to make things better'.
The Department of Health and Social Care launched a call for evidence to help shape a national cancer plan in February.
The blueprint is expected to be published later this year and will aim to transform cancer care by improving diagnosis, screening and treatment, as well as bolstering research and looking at ways to help prevent the disease.
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The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Patients warned not to turn to fake weight loss jabs after UK Mounjaro price hike
Medical experts have warned Britons not to turn to fake weight loss jabs after fears the Mounjaro price hike could make it unaffordable for people 'already struggling to pay for it'. The cost of the drug, dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss medicine, is set to triple in the UK after its US -owned company equalised costs in markets across the globe. A month's supply of the highest doses of the jab will rise from £122 to £330 - an increase of 170 per cent. Though this will not affect patients prescribed the jab on the NHS, it will affect thousands of people who are currently buying the medicine privately. Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmacist Society (RPS), said the price hike risks rendering the jabs out of reach for people already struggling to afford them. 'It's reassuring that NHS patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes will continue to access Mounjaro,' she told The Independent. 'However, rising private prescription costs may make Mounjaro unaffordable for people in deprived areas already struggling to pay for it.' She said the RPS urges anyone considering obtaining Mounjaro to do so only from a UK pharmacy that is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council and with a valid prescription. She warned fakes could be harmful or non-effective and said: 'Counterfeit medicines from unregulated sources pose serious health risks—they can contain incorrect doses, harmful substances or no active ingredient at all.' She added that if patients If buying online, check the site displays the official green GPhC logo linking to the GPhC register. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, also urged patients to only use reputable outlets and to speak with their private provider if they are concerned about potential price increases to the drug. She said: 'If they are accessing medication through dubious online sources, or without a prescription, it can be a genuine threat to a patient's safety. In some cases, people may not be buying what they think they are, which is really dangerous.' Fake jabs for sale in the UK are already a huge concern, with thousands of fraudulent online pharmacies selling such products having been uncovered. Fake versions of Ozempic, another popular brand of weight loss jab, have been found being sold for as little as £13.70 per dose, along with counterfeit versions of other brands, including Rybelsus and Metformin pills, being offered from 24p. Researchers from Avast, a cybersecurity brand of the company Gen, who conducted the investigation, warned of the 'dangerous' threat of the global scam involving more than 5,000 fake pharmacy sites this year, which they say are being run by criminal networks. It comes amid the rapid rise of weight-loss medication in the UK – with around 1.5 million people, 4 per cent of households, currently using them. These weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. In June, the NHS offered Mounjaro to obese patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four clinical conditions related to their weight, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Over the next three years, about 240,000 patients are expected to be eligible for the treatment. Mounjaro's owner Eli Lily said it would not raise the price paid by the NHS, and it was working with private healthcare providers to maintain access to the jab. The move reflects how the pharmaceutical industry is navigating policy changes in the US, by far its most lucrative market.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Mounjaro users panic over massive price hikes - experts reveal how to keep using weight loss jabs... for less
Mounjaro manufacturer Lilly sparked panic among slimmers yesterday after revealing it would more than double the price of the drug in the UK. The US pharmaceutical giant announced the cost would soar from September 1, with the wholesale price of a month's supply of the highest dose rising from £122 to £330. Lilly claimed it had initially launched Mounjaro in the UK at a price 'significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability' but that this must now change 'to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation'. The announcement, however, does not affect the price the NHS pays, as the service has negotiated a heavily discounted rate for those getting the drug on prescription. But there are thought to be around 1.5 million people on weight loss drugs in the UK with more than half of them on Mounjaro—and estimates suggest nine in 10 pay for these drugs privately. Users flocked to social media warning denouncing the move, worried they were now left with no option but to come off the 'life changing' jab. 'I have no one to talk to about this and I'm freaking out,' one wrote on Reddit. 'Call it dramatic but I just cannot afford this, and this med is my only lifeline right now. I'm absolutely devastated. I don't know what to do.' Mounjaro price increases Mounjaro®▼ (tirzepatide) KwikPen® Dose Current UK List Price New UK List Price (From September) 2.5mg £92 £133 5mg £92 £180 7.5mg £107 £255 10mg £107 £255 12.5mg £122 £330 15mg £122 £330 Another said: 'I'm totally freaking out about it! I'm only about to go onto my 2nd pen now. The black market is going to be even more rife than ever due to this, fuming.' The main concern among slimmers is regaining weight after being forced to stop Mounjaro. Evidence suggests currently only around 2 to 10 per cent of people keep all their lost weight off if they stop taking the jabs, known collectively as GLP-1s. So is it possible to still access Mounjaro at a similar price? And crucially, what are options if you want to stay on the jabs but can't afford to? With the help of a team of experts, we explain everything you need to know about how to keep using weight loss jabs, for less... I already pay for Mounjaro privately - can I now get it on the NHS? Not necessarily. Only those who hit the body mass index (BMI) threshold set by the NHS may be prescribed weight-loss jabs. Patients must have a BMI of at least 40—severely obese—as well as four obesity-related conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea, heart disease, osteoarthritis or diabetes. Next year, those with a BMI of over 35, along with four obesity-related conditions, will be offered the jabs. Then, in September 2026, those with a BMI of over 40 and just three related conditions will be able to access them on the NHS. Private clinics, however, can offer Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 30 or 27 if they also have at least one weight-related condition. 'There are lots of patients paying privately who want to switch to NHS treatment,' says Oxford GP Dr Helen Salisbury, 'but that won't happen overnight.' If I qualify for Mounjaro on the NHS, what are my next steps? Eligible patients need to make an appointment with their GP, which will likely be face-to-face in an effort to combat 'potential misuse'. The GP will assess medical records and, if necessary, contact other doctors who have recently treated the patient, to make sure they are a suitable candidate for treatment. If the prescription is approved, then patients will initially need to have monthly face-to-face appointments with a 'suitably trained healthcare professional', such as a nurse and monitored for potential side effects. GPs need to regularly review the patient's prescription, taking into account their BMI, comorbidities, side effects, and mental health, for at least the first year of treatment and possibly longer. I'm not eligible but can't afford to stay on Mounjaro from September—what are my options? Thousands of Mounjaro users could face a situation by the end of the month where they cannot afford to continue taking Mounjaro. But experts say it is possible to switch medication and begin a new weight loss jab. Thorrun Govind, a TV pharmacist and former chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, told the Daily Mail: 'Patients can ask their provider to switch and a decision will then be taken together.' Toby Nicol, CEO at private weight loss jab provider CheqUp, meanwhile said: 'A huge number of people will be considering switching and it's important that they know that this is absolutely possible. 'Wegovy is now a much more affordable option and is also clinically proven as a highly effective drug. 'We don't want anyone to be priced out and think they have to take something which is unsafe. 'Do not buy from the cowboys. If the price is to good to be true, it probably is.' Experts, however, have warned against trying to 'microdose' remaining Mounjaro pens in an effort to prolong the drug and save money. The term, refers to counting clicks on pre–filled Mounjaro pens to deliver less than the prescribed dose—or even breaking them open. 'People are risking serious side effects from overdosing, as well as the potential for life–threatening infection,' said Professor Alex Miras, an endocrinologist at Ulster University. 'We cannot endorse it.' He added: 'Not only is contamination a risk, but it also reduces the effectiveness of the medication.' So which jab should I switch to? Pharmacists have said Wegovy is the most likely option. The drug, which contains the ingredient semaglutide, is made by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. Kevin Joshua, the clinical lead at Juniper, an online pharmacy selling weight-loss jabs, said: 'For many, the pragmatic move is to switch to Wegovy—proven outcomes, a cardiovascular risk‑reduction indication in people living with overweight or obesity, and more predictable private costs.' Clinical trials have shown Mounjaro is the most effective of all the injections, with average weight loss of 20 per cent over 72 weeks. By comparison, Wegovy achieved average weight loss of around 14 per cent. Experts suggest this is because Wegovy mimics one hormone released by the body after a meal, to flip one appetite switch in the brain. Mounjaro, meanwhile, flips two. How can I make the switch safely? Given the two jabs contain different ingredients, how well the body tolerates them may differ. As with any medication, patients may need to adjust to the side effects of a new medicine. Dr Suhail Hussain, a GP for private online clinic Doctify, said: 'Mounjaro tends to be better tolerated in terms of gastrointestinal side effects than Wegovy, so patients may experience more nausea or vomiting.' Other common side effects of beginning a new GLP-1 medication includes nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and headaches. Ms Govind told Daily Mail that one way patients may make the switch is by 'taking your next semaglutide dose one week after your last Mounjaro injection, effectively replacing it without a break'. She added: 'This avoids a "hunger rebound" that can happen if you leave a long gap. 'There is no direct dose conversion between tirzepatide and semaglutide. So you might switch to a low dose semaglutide and then go up in dose.' Should I come off Mounjaro completely first before starting a new medication? Experts have repeatedly warned against completely stopping taking weight loss jabs suddenly over fears of side effects such as body aches, as well as regaining the weight lost on the drug. But according to pharmacists, patients must first completely come off Mounjaro before switching to a new jab, such as Wegovy. This is because the GLP-1 jabs affect the same hormones and could 'massively increase the risk of side effects', Ms Govind told the Daily Mail. There is also not clear long term evidence yet on the long term issues this could cause, she added. 'For patients who are currently on Mounjaro, it may require a period of abstinence of several weeks before switching on an alternative,' Dr Leyla Hannbeck also told the Daily Mail. 'Your pharmacist will be able to advise you on the switch.' Ms Govind added: 'Typically it's seven days between the last tirzepatide and the first semaglutide dose. 'But it depends on the side effects that the patient has experienced and their tolerability to those side effects.'
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
Mounjaro won't be the last drug company to bow to Trump
If you need to lose a few pounds after enjoying the French or Italian food a little too much on your summer holiday, there might soon be a problem. The cost of one of the new weight loss drugs that has become so popular in recent months is about to get a lot more expensive. The American drugs giant Eli Lilly doubling the price of Mounjaro in the UK. The price of one diet pill does not make a great deal of difference. The trouble is, the decision was prompted by President Trump's determination to make the cost of medicines a lot fairer between the United States and the rest of the world. This is going to end up costing Britain, along with many other countries, a lot of money. Eli Lilly will be increasing the British price of Mounjaro, the most popular and effective weight loss injection, from £92 for a medium-sized dose to £180, and from £122 to £330 for a stronger version. The reason is simple. President Trump, with his typically blunt language, complained about how a friend of his brought 'the fat drug' in London at a far lower price than in the US despite being 'the same box made in the same plant by the same company'. More broadly, President Trump has made a big issue of the huge differences in drug prices between the US and other countries. He has imposed tariffs that could go as high as 250 per cent to force the major pharmaceutical companies to bring their manufacturing onshore and lower prices for American patients. Eli Lilly's response, quite rationally, has been to increase the price in the UK to start to close the gap and keep the President happy. Eli Lilly won't be the last pharmaceutical company to do this. Truth be told, President Trump has a point about the unfairness of drug prices in his country. On average, medicines cost 2.7 times more in the US than they do in the rest of the world. That might make sense for poor countries, but it is hard to see why developed economies in Europe, the Gulf or Asia should pay so much less for medicines than America does. In effect, the US subsidises the rest of the world, paying for the huge cost of research while the rest of the world gets drugs at far less than they would otherwise cost. But if that is rebalanced, medicines will inevitably get a lot more expensive, both for private patients and in time for the NHS as well. Given that the UK spends £34 billion a year on pharmaceuticals and that £19 billion of that comes from the NHS, that is going to be a very big bill – and one that we can barely afford.
