Expensive cancer drugs may be offered to NHS patients during trial period

Under NHS England proposals, patients will be given drugs normally too expensive for the NHS while data is collected to establish their value

New cancer drugs that show promise but are too expensive for the NHS could be made available to patients for two years to collect data on their value, NHS England has proposed.

The plans, which now go out to consultation, are an attempt to solve a thorny ethical and political issue that has provoked damaging headlines for governments for many years.