AUSTRALIA The Australian Red Cross is collecting and processing blood using a ground-breaking deep-freeze method , pictured , which will soon be deployed in conflict zones . The technology dramatically extends the shelf life of blood components for up to 10 years . Normally the shelf life is as short as five days for platelets , six weeks for red blood cells and 12 months for plasma . Professor Michael Reade , of the Australian Defence Force Joint Health Command , said the technology would help put an end to the “ enormous amount of waste ” of blood products .

Clare Pain

SNAPSHOT

THERE are many reasons to avoid looking to England for inspiration . Its food for instance is often derided for its soggy puddings and over-cooked veg . The comic failures of its soccer team have become a lingering hurt that cuts at the nation ’ s very soul .

Then there is the more recent example of its Cancer Drugs Fund . UK ’ s Cancer Drugs Fund , which was the subject of a recent damning article in the Annals of Oncology .

The UK fund , set up in 2010 to make more cancer drugs available to patients , began its life with a ‘ grass is greener on the other side ’ motivation too .

It was established to ensure access to cancer drugs that were available in other countries and freed of the obligation to follow the rigorous processes used by the country ’ s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence ( the UK body similar to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee ) to determine whether or not

Patients treated in a : a drug could be prescribed in the nation ’ s publicly funded health system .

The fund had delivered on increasing access to cancer drugs , according to an analysis of 29 drugs the fund had approved in its first five years .

But , of the 47 drug indications approved , only 18 had clinical trial data reporting benefit in overall survival .

And for the 38 % of drugs that failed to prolong overall survival , the median benefit was a disappointing 3.1 months .

The scheme had “ not delivered meaningful value to patients or society ”, the authors concluded .

To add insult to injury , the fund didn ’ t even bother to record the outcomes in patients treated with the approved drugs .

The cost of the fund had also blown out markedly .

Starting with a budget of £ 50 million ($ 86m ) per annum , five years on , the scheme consumed £ 1.3 billion ($ 2.2bn ) — a figure equal to the UK ’ s entire annual

Average waiting time for elective surgery : spend on cancer drugs . That money could have been spent on other ways of helping cancer patients , such as screening , surgery and radiotherapy , argued the authors .

Or , they added , it could perhaps have been better used to help other patients who didn ’ t have cancer .

There was also an unfortunate effect on the pharmaceutical companies : given approval for their drugs by the fund , there was no incentive for them to enter negotiations on price .

The fund still exists , but is run now in close collaboration with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence .

In Australia , there have been calls for something similar to be established . Several submissions to the Senate Inquiry on cancer drugs suggested we set up a fund modelled on the UK ’ s cancer fund .

But , maybe this is the one time we shouldn ’ t look over the fence . Annals of Oncology 2017 ; online .

Average length of stay - emergencies

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“ The health minister , Greg Hunt , has done a great job on the RACGP and AMA , but not on health .”

Former RDAA president Dr Paul Mara speaks out against the pre-budget “ pacts ”.

“ Many GPs would be prepared to bulkbill more often if the rebate came close to covering our costs .”

Dr Miriam Grotowski , a

GP in Tamworth , NSW , says she ’ s unlikely to start bulk-billing , even after the

Medicare freeze ends .

“ About a year ago , I used to hold very , very biased and limited views on cannabis .”

After researching the topic , GP Dr Teresa Towpik , from Katoomba , NSW , says her view of medicinal cannabis went up in smoke . She is now urging the Federal Government to make the drug easier to prescribe .

www . australiandoctor . com . au 2 June 2017 | Australian Doctor | 31