Ethical Dilemmas

Our Ethical Dilemmas campaign aims to assist clinicians in broaching with their patients the very sensitive issue of accessing drugs not routinely available on the NHS. Through providing guidance to clinicians on national and local processes, PCT funding applications and appeals, we hope to encourage more clinicians to consider, and demand, the newest and most clinically-effective treatments for their patients.

In 2009 the charity carried out a survey of forty consultant oncologists to explore the challenges facing clinicians when discussing non-NHS-funded treatments with patients and more specifically, the support they are receiving to enable them to have these very difficult conversations. The most striking result from the survey was that the respondents did not feel adequately supported or guided by their NHS Trust on how to deal with these complex issues. Download the survey findings here.

In response to the research findings, Beating Bowel Cancer has developed an "Ethical Dilemmas" booklet for clinicians, signposting them to the guidance that is available to them and the resources they may wish to access to provide to their patients. The publication has been distributed to all bowel cancer centres and is available to healthcare professionals on request.  Please email us for a copy.