UK campaigns for NHS access to costly treatments

In July 2026, patient‑led groups began pressuring the NHS to make the targeted therapy Enhertu available for people with metastatic HER2‑low breast cancer. Campaigners highlighted a postcode‑based “lottery” that leaves patients in England, Wales and Northern Ireland without the drug, even though it is approved in Scotland and across much of Europe. A poll showed strong public support for ending the inequity.

Two weeks later, families affected by advanced breast cancer and rare mitochondrial disease broadened the push. After the NHS refused to fund Enhertu on cost grounds, a mother raised more than £50,000 through a newspaper appeal and urged the new health secretary to approve the drug. At the same time, another family launched a crowdfunding drive for research into a rare RRM2B‑related mitochondrial condition affecting their children. The later snapshot therefore shows the campaign moving from advocacy and public opinion surveys to active fundraising and calls for policy change covering both cancer and rare‑disease therapies.