Access to SIRT treatment in Wales

Hi

My dad has liver cancer and has been recommended SIRT treatment but has been advised it's not funded in Wales and he will have to pay privately in England.

My reading online suggests there is a mechanism to get it funded if you live Wales. Please let me know if you have any experience of this.

Many thanks.

  • Hello and thanks for your post,

    I have provided various links that may be able to give some idea of how he may be able to access treatment.

    This is some information that I came across on our website:

    'Who can have SIRT

    SIRT is available on the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales through the Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) programme. The aim of this programme is to increase access to services and treatments which are not routinely funded by the NHS. They say that SIRT can be used within the NHS for • Bowel cancer that has spread to the liver • Bile duct cancer (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) 01 Selective internal radiation therapy for secondary bowel cancer '

    We have other ways of accessing treatment which you can see here.

    I don't see a clinical trial at the moment for SIRT treatment but you may want to look on the SIRT website here.

    I also looked on the British Liver Trust website and they say that it is available in Wales but you have obviously been told otherwise. It may be helpful to contact the British Liver Trust to ask them. Have a look at their details here.

    Do encourage your dad to talk this through with his doctors in Wales.

    I hope some of these links may be helpful.

    If you want to ring and discuss any of this with one of the nurses on the helpline then do get back to us. We are here Monday to Friday, Freephone 0808 800 4040

    All the Best,

    Catherine

  • Hi Catherine Many thanks for responding. I have found an article which confirms - The NHS England Commissioning through Evaluation (CtE) scheme has now closed and patients are not currently eligible to receive SIRT funded by the NHS. I will email the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) though to see if and how we can access treatment in Wales. Best wishes.