A COLCHESTER specialist who spearheaded a patients’ revolt against NHS plans to stop funding an asthma drug has welcomed plans to make the drug more widely available.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which decides which drugs are available to patients on the NHS, had planned to stop funding omalizumab, used by patients with severe asthma.

But Dr Tim Howes, a respiratory consultant at Colchester General Hospital, appealed on patients’ behalf for a re-think.

From today the drug is not only available to all adults, but also to children aged between six and 11.

Dr Howes said: “This is a great victory for patient power and NICE has really listened.
“It is these sort of decisions which help doctors in treating asthma and I was glad to be involved in it.”

At the moment, 17 of Dr Howes’ patients are prescribed the drug, but he now expects the number to grow.