Deal and Dover MP Charlie Elphicke has joined Breakthrough Breast Cancer in its call for fairer access to life-extending breast cancer drugs.

Ambassador Kerry Rubins, of Deal, joined Mr Elphicke in parliament on Tuesday, where concerns were raised about the routine ability and inflated prices being set for vital treatments that can offer women living with incurable breast cancer extra time with their loved ones.

A number of innovative new breast cancer drugs have been rejected for routine use on the NHS and are only available through the Cancer Drugs Fund, which the government introduced as a temporary measure until 2016.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is calling for long-term reform of the drug pricing system to give patients across the UK the certainty that they will be able to access the drugs they need at prices the NHS can afford.

Mr Elphicke has committed to working with Breakthrough to ensure that all women in Deal and Dover have access to the drugs they need.

He said: “I’m supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer in their call for all political parties, including my own, to commit to solving the issues that currently exist around access to drugs in the UK.

“If there was an easy solution to this problem we would have it by now. This will come from negotiations and ongoing discussion with pharmaceutical companies, regulators and charities to create a new system to ensure all cancer patients can access the drugs they need at a fair price to the NHS.

“We’ve come a long way in developing better drugs for breast cancer but to keep moving towards a future where women can live longer feeling well, we need to find a way to guarantee access to the drugs that can make this possible.”

According to the charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer is committed to working closely with government, industry and stakeholders to develop and embed a new system of drug pricing and evaluation.

Miss Rubins said: “I was extremely honoured to be chosen by Breakthrough to represent our town at the parliamentary reception and to be involved with our influencing campaign of Better Access to Drugs.

“It is vitally important for our local women who are going through secondary breast cancer to have these drugs and for all women and men nationally. I am determined to be a part of making this happen alongside our MP.”

To help demand a fair price for life-extending drugs, visit www.breakthrough.org.uk/demandafairprice