Those campaigning for the life-extending ‘wonder drug’ Sunitinib to be freely prescribed by the NHS have had many false dawns before.

But the words of Sir Michael Rawlins, the chairman of the Government’s drug prescription watchdog Nice, that a ‘more flexible approach’ is needed will bring some renewed hope.

There are kidney cancer sufferers in Oxfordshire desperately waiting to see if the drug can be prescribed on the NHS.

Funding is expensive and many have had to dip into life savings to meet the payments.

The sad fact is that there is no level playing field – cancer sufferers in other parts of the country receive the drug for free.

This situation must be sorted out. And fast.