Cancer treatment costs Guernsey woman £4000 a month - which in Jersey or England could be free

Jane Shales was diagnosed with terminal cancer and says that if she lived in England or Jersey, rather than Guernsey, the drug could be part of treatment she'd receive free of charge.

A woman from Guernsey who was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in June says she is spending £4,600 a month on treatment.

Months on from the diagnosis, Jane Shales has difficulty swallowing and her husband Darren is trying to raise awareness of their situation.

Three times a day, Jane and Darren Shales prepare a mixture of drugs to ease her pain.

Jane says: "My chemotherapy failed. I had a scan at four weeks and it hadn't made any impact whatsoever. We ditched it as it made me really, really ill".

A drug named Nivoluamb was recommended to Jane by her consultant, who says the drug could extend her life and make her more comfortable.

The drug costs £4000 a month - which means a year's supply of the drug goes over the States of Guernsey's threshold for drugs recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).

Darren says: "To be told we're not going to pay and it's £4000 a month and I don't earn £4000 a month.

"So, do we get another mortgage, or do we borrow against the house because how else is it going to be paid for?

"Apart from that, the upset of seeing your wife go downhill. You're seeing Jane on a good day, most days she's not like this, she's in a lot of pain and we just wanted some help from the States, we've been taxpayers for 40 years"

A Justgiving page ensured a few months of the treatment, but the Shales family want to know if there are other options "When you have cancer, every day is important and we are waiting and waiting for the answer", Jane said.

"Will the States help us with this huge payment or not? Every day we wait is a day wasted"

Guernsey's Committee for Health and Social Care have set the threshold to £40,000, but in Jersey it is on a case-by-case basis. In England, prescriptions are free for anything related to cancer or its effects, residents just need to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

Guernsey's medical specialist group acknowledge that the NHS funds significantly more drugs than in Guernsey.

The island's Health and Social Care Committee says it has been trying to address this since 2019.

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