Our open letter for MPs
You can read our open letter, signed by 64 MPs, here.
Our emergency event to end the PERT shortages
We held an emergency event in Parliament to ask MPs for their support to end the damaging PERT shortages.
When people get pancreatic cancer, their body can’t digest food properly. This can leave them too poorly for treatment, with lower quality of life – and at risk of starvation.
Simple tablets called Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – also known as Creon, or Nutrizym – can help people to cope better with treatment and manage their symptoms.
But right now there are major shortages of PERT across the UK, affecting at least 61,000 people.
Find out more about the shortages
A proactive response is needed from the Government to end the shortages.
That’s why, on Wednesday 26 February, we held an emergency event in Parliament to ask MPs for their support.
What happened at the event?
Thanks to 2,275 amazing supporters who urged their MP to attend, 104 MPs joined our event. This is an incredible result. Thank you for standing with us to call on the Government to end the PERT shortages. Find out if your MP came along.
Our amazing volunteers – Bryony, Claire, Michael, Terri and Rachel – spoke passionately to MPs about the impact that the PERT shortages are having on them and their families.
MPs were keen to understand the impact in their local areas, and what next steps are needed to end the shortages.
Our PERT campaigners gathered outside parliament parliament after the emergency event
Bryony, who is affected by the PERT shortages, spoke to the Cancer Minister with responsibility for medicines supply, Karin Smyth MP
Our supporter Michael, who is living beyond pancreatic cancer, with Munira Wilson MP
Dietitian Mary Phillips speaking to MP Alex Brewer MP
Paulette Hamilton MP, our event sponsor, with Claire who relies on PERT at every mealtime
Over 100 MPs dropped in to our event to learn more about the PERT shortages
Bryony spoke passionately about the impact of the PERT shortages on her health and wellbeing, and called on the Government to take urgent action.=
Robin Swann MP stood with us to call for an end to PERT shortages, alongside Claire and her mum Terri
BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym joined the even to speak with people affected by the damaging shortages
The Pancreatic Cancer UK team joined by some of our amazing volunteers who supported the event
Pancreatic Cancer UK CEO Diana Jupp being interviewed for a BBC report about the PERT shortages
As one of the lucky ones to have received curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, the NHS has spent tens of thousands of pounds and countless hours saving my life, now I want to live it. That my health should now be jeopardised for want of a very simple medication is absurd.
We heard from the Cancer Minister
The Minister with responsibility for cancer and medicines supply, Karin Smyth MP, committed to working with Pancreatic Cancer UK, manufacturers, pharmacies, and others within the supply chain to urgently tackle the shortages of PERT affecting thousands of people across the UK.
The Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Edward Argar MP, had a detailed discussion with our team. He acknowledged that urgent action is critical to end the shortages.
We were covered on BBC breakfast!
BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym joined our event to chat with people affected by the PERT shortage. Our activity was featured as part of a broadcast on BBC Breakfast on Friday 28 February all about the PERT shortages.
At the event, dozens of MPs signed our open letter calling for greater Government action in ending the ongoing shortages. The letter ask for the Department for Health and Social Care to:
- convene and lead a high-level stakeholder roundtable to address the shortages alongside PERT manufacturers, patient advocacy groups and Government stakeholders to discuss practical measures and solutions to the ongoing crisis
- produce a detailed action plan and establish a PERT shortages taskforce to help to achieve these crucial next steps
Our parliamentary letter on PERT shortages
