One of my new summer holiday habits is to watch BBC news 24 whilst eating my breakfast and an item I watched this morning has had me thinking all day. There are apparently 4 treatments for advanced kidney cancer that have been not recommended for use in the NHS because they are 'not cost effective' and they don't offer 'value for money.' They cost around £30,000 per year per patient. Read the article here.
Do we have the right to put a price on life? I'm not sure, it's a tricky one and if we do, who makes the decision yes or no? What factors are taken into the equation? How old you are? How clever you are deemed to be? Your chosen job or career? The number of children you have? Where you live?
I believe that we have infinite value because we are made in the image of God and with a plan and a purpose for our lives. But I also sense that all these advancements in technology and science are going to lead to more and more cases where there are no easy answers to the dilemmas of the prospect of prolonging life versus a cash strapped NHS.
Hmm...anyone any thoughts?
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