Cheshire dad has to fund £150k treatment in Germany as he slams 'outdated' NHS policy
A Cheshire dad has travelled to Germany for a second stem cell transplant after being told the NHS would not fund the treatment. Sean Turner, 40, from Runcorn, is recovering in Dre
By Cheshire Live
A Cheshire dad has travelled to Germany for a second stem cell transplant after being told the NHS would not fund the treatment. Sean Turner, 40, from Runcorn, is recovering in Dresden after the procedure.
According to the source report, Sean had previously had a stem cell transplant for blood cancer, but when the cancer returned he was told there were no further treatment options available to him on the NHS. He has since raised more than £63,000 through GoFundMe and borrowed money from friends and family to pay for treatment abroad.
The report says the treatment is expected to cost about £150,000. Sean, who has a young son, is now calling for change and has criticised the NHS policy as outdated.
The article also says three blood cancer charities have launched a campaign urging NHS England to change its approach to second stem cell transplants. They argue that patients whose cancer returns less than 12 months after the first transplant can currently be denied another transplant under the policy introduced in 2017.
The charities say decisions should instead be made on an individual basis, with specialist doctors taking each patient’s circumstances into account.