The chairman of BMA Scotland, Dr Brian Keighley, has questioned whether society can afford the cost of treatments designed to prolong the lives of terminally-ill patients for weeks or months, given the current pressure on health service budgets. Dr Keighley said in some cases tens of thousands of pounds were spent on drugs to extend cancer patients’ lives for relatively short periods He added that such treatments should be looked at ‘critically’ and that for life-prolonging treatments costing thousands of pounds, ‘useful’ longevity, should be the criterion for decision-making.
The article in the Scotland on Sunday can be found here.