Cancer Drug Fund

Request

Dear Sir/Madam

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Request for Information from East Midlands SHA

This request concerns the Interim Cancer Drugs Fund (ICDF), effective from 1st October 2010 to 31st March 2011.

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide me with the following information:

1 - How much money was allocated to the East Midlands SHA from the Interim Cancer Drugs Fund?

2 - How much money was committed from the ICDF upto 31st March 2011 excluding the cost of ongoing treatment?

3 - How much money was committed from the ICDF beyond 31st March 2011 including the cost of ongoing treatment?

4 - Please confirm how much money was remaining and not allocated from the ICDF?

5 - Please confirm what happened to any money that had not been allocated and the date of this?

6 - How many applications in total were made to the ICDF between 1st October 2010 and 31st March 2011?

7 -  How many of these applications were approved?

8 - How many of these applications were rejected?

9 - How many failed to reach the decision stage?

10 - Please advise the total cost of administering the ICDF within your region?

11 - Please confirm your population base

Please acknowledge receipt of this request and reply by e-mail in order to speed up the process.

Our Response

I refer to your email requesting information in respect of the Interim Cancer Drugs Fund (ICDF).

I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do not hold all of the information that you have requested.  However, I will address each of your points in turn:

1          How much money was allocated to the East Midlands SHA from the Interim Cancer Drugs Fund? 

• This information is available at http://www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/cancer-drugs-fund/east-midlands-interim-cancer-drug-fund/

2          How much money was committed from the ICDF upto 31st March 2011 excluding the cost of on-going treatment? 

• Please see monitoring report available at the web address above.

3          How much money was committed from the ICDF beyond 31st March 2011 including the cost of on-going treatment? 

• This figure can be derived from the monitoring report

4          Please confirm how much money was remaining and not allocated from the ICDF?            

• As above

5          Please confirm what happened to any money that had not been allocated and the date of this? 

• The funding was distributed across the PCTs to support local health priorities.

6          How many applications in total were made to the ICDF between 1st October 2010 and 31st March 2011? 

• Please see monitoring report as above.

7          How many of these applications were approved?

• Please see monitoring report as above.

8          How many of these applications were rejected?

• Please see monitoring report as above.

9          How many failed to reach the decision stage?   

• We are not aware of any  outstanding cases from the interim cancer drugs fund.

10        Please advise the total cost of administering the ICDF within your region?

• We do not have this information.

11        Please confirm your population base.

• Approximately 4.3 million.  Access can be made to the office for national statistics for precise population figures and estimates at the following link: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/population/index.html

I hope that this information is of use.  If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask us to review our decision by writing to:-

Mr Moosa Patel
Director of Corporate Affairs
NHS East Midlands
Octavia House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10 5QG

If at the conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted at:-

The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF