Ruth Wake, a 57-year-old mother from Staffordshire, is battling leukaemia and facing a harrowing reality after the NHS refused to approve a second stem cell transplant due to an “outdated” rule known as the “double jeopardy” policy. This policy bars patients who relapse within a year of a stem cell transplant from receiving another one on the NHS.
Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in January last year, Ruth underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in June. Unfortunately, her cancer relapsed within the year. Despite subsequent treatments putting her into remission, the medications are only expected to control the cancer for six to nine months before it potentially returns.
The NHS advised Ruth to continue her medication while preparing for the worst, telling her to “put her affairs in order” as the leukaemia could return as early as Christmas. Refusing to accept this prognosis, Ruth secured private treatment through her employer’s health insurance and is scheduled for a second transplant in January, with her 20-year-old daughter as the donor.
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While grateful for this opportunity, Ruth highlights that many patients are not as fortunate and are subject to NHS policies that have not kept pace with modern scientific advances. “The policy was written over 12 years ago and doesn’t reflect the significant progress in treatments or the changing profile of patients,” she said. “It assesses the disease but not the patient’s strength or readiness for a second transplant. Patients deserve better.”
Her campaign has gained support from charity Leukaemia UK and her local MP Sir Gavin Williamson, who has raised her case in Parliament. He criticized the current rules for denying patients like Ruth valuable time with their loved ones and urged a review of the policy.
NHS England says treatment decisions are made on a case-by-case basis following clinical guidelines, but the existing policy largely hinges on data showing better outcomes for patients who relapse after one year, compared to those who relapse sooner.
Leukaemia UK reports nearly 3,100 new AML cases in the UK annually, with survival rates among the lowest for cancer types. Approximately 80% of patients diagnosed succumb within five years, and half do not survive beyond six months.
Ruth’s story sheds light on the urgent need for NHS policy reform, to better reflect modern medicine and patient needs, offering hope and extended life to those diagnosed with this challenging disease.