NORTHAVON MP Steve Webb has said the Department of Health should value life more highly and a review of the way drugs are funded for people with terminal illnesses should be undertaken quickly.

Health Minister Alan Johnson has announced changes to the way decisions are made about treatments on the NHS, that should see more drugs being made available to more people.

The proposed changes have been welcomed by the Northavon MP as well as one of his constituents, Robert Derrick, has been paying for his own kidney cancer medication because it is not routinely available on the health service.

Measures include providing more flexibility in looking at expensive drugs for people with terminal illnesses, such as cancer, and working with drug companies to come up with pricing arrangements, such as lower prices for medication with the option of higher prices if they are proven to work.

Mr Webb agreed that there is a need for more consistency in the process used to approve drugs.

He said that the Department of Transport attaches a higher value to life with rail safety measures than is granted to people who need expensive drugs.

He said: "I think we are valuing life too low. Other bits of the Government are attaching a higher value to life than Nice."