AVAILABILITY OF PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

Early day motion 540, tabled 21 January 2009 by Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 100 members.

That this House is increasingly aware that patient demand for photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of a range of cancers and other conditions is not being met by the NHS; notes that the treatment is much less invasive and less traumatic for patients compared to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is usually substantially cheaper for the NHS, and that a growing body of evidence points to PDT's impressive survival rates over and above other treatment options; further notes that increased campaigning in the media by former PDT patients and celebrities is only going to increase this demand; and urgently calls on the Government and the Department of Health to take up the offer from the Killing Cancer charity to equip a network of 25 regional treatment and research centres to jointly fund new trials with the charity and to actively recommend and encourage NHS trusts to make available the existing NICE-approved PDT treatments to patients across the UK.

Signatures by party: Labour 45, Liberal Democrat 36, Conservative 7, DUP 5, Independent 5, Plaid Cymru 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.