I agree with Andrew but, why not give poorer patients the same drugs and allow them to pay by installments, if they so and their families choose, or through their employer, if employed?

Romany, Brighton, England

If the government had kept the £9bn 2010 Olympics bill to the original £2.3bn figure, it could have used the other £6.7bn, which it's about to chuck down the toilet, to provide these extra drugs to everyone. Labour sprays money all over the place, with only a tiny fraction landing where it's needed.

Mike, Brighton, England

Tony Bliar 'topped up' his children's education by hiring private tutors.

What's the difference?

John Jenkins, Leeds,

Co-payments is a way forward within the NHS, however, the health minsters need to look at how they can supplement this practice for those who can not afford this proposed practice. Serious guidelines and ethics need to be considered, and tha prevents high expectations leading to falls (Patients).

Harrison, London, England

Alan Johnson should concentrate on making such drugs available to all as they are in most of Europe, rather than indulging in an ideology that died before many NHS patients were born.

Simon Marshland, Bath, UK

The NHS does not have the right to penalise patients for spending their own money to help themselves.

It's sheer arrogance.

The heart of the problem is the waste and mismanagement within the NHS, which leaves no money to treat patients properly.

Sarah, Carcassonne, France

Bear in mind that those that pay are not paying for a cure, just a couple of months of extension, these months may well be painful. Personally I do not think it worthwile, I went on a trial which if it had worked on average would give two months extension. But that was free to me.

BOB, ABERDEN,

Andrew, The person in the chair next door does not have any idea what you are getting, either from the drip or the injection. By the time you are in a bed it is too late

BOB, ABERDEN,

Sorry Andrew, but we have been multi tired for yonks. Dentistry if avaialble, is paid extra for, prescription charges free in Wales, a post code lottery for drugs, treatment and MRSA, we have not had an NHS for years. The sooner we move to insured model, the sooner we may get fairer treatment.

Mr Angry, London ,

People have died because this inflexible principle, the country has moved on since 1946 and NHS and Labour ministers have stagnated. Time for a wholesale change the the NHS and political involvment both of which just equal waste

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

So, a responsible citizen pays her taxes and NI and also saves money. She then uses her savings to buy cancer drugs and the health services she has already paid for through her taxes are withdrawn because of one man's outdated leftist ideology

Alan Johnson ought to be charged with manslaughter.

Michael, London,

Shouldn't the NHS supply these drugs free? I'm finding it hard to see the logic that the NHS doesn't supply them, and for equity reasons you can't buy them, unless you are wealthy enough to go completely private in which case, no problem.

Glen, Melbourne, Australia

Quite right too. To the reconsideration, not the comment. I spent three months in hospital following a stroke, and my wife used to bring me in M&S "goodies" to supplement the perfectly adequate NHS food. I don't recall my room-mates being humiliated.

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I thought the principle was that two NHS hospitalised people in neighbouring beds should get the same care regardless of their wealth. When the poorer person sees the wealthier person get better drugs administered by an NHS nurse I can imagine the humiliation and helplessness. Consideration required

Andrew, Midands, UK