There are very few proven treatments for cancer which are not available in the UK. But there are very occasional special cases where treatment abroad might be considered. The UK Government has slightly different regulations regarding these, depending on whether the treatment is in a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) or elsewhere.

The process for getting treatments in countries like Italy, which are within the EEA, can be summarised as follows:

• the consultant in charge of your care must agree that the treatment is necessary (this must be the consultant who is the specialist most closely connected with the type of treatment you are seeking - for example, if you are looking to have chemotherapy then it would need to be a specialist in chemotherapy treatment rather than, say, a surgeon).
• the consultant then has to make a strong case to the local Health Authority (HA) as to why the treatment is necessary and why it cannot be given in this country. This case has to be what is called 'evidence -based'. This means that there has to be clear evidence that the treatment is of proven value. This means that any experimental or trial treatments could not be considered.
• if the HA agrees that the treatment is necessary they then apply to the International & Constitutional Branch at the Department of Health for you to be issued with a form E112. Form E112 allows you to have treatment under the state health care system of the country where the treatment is based. But this would not include any travel and accommodation costs which might be involved and you would have to fund these yourself. n your consultant in the UK must then refer you to the consultant in Italy. If he or she agrees to your treatment then you give them your form E112. When your treatment is complete the hospital in Italy will send a bill to the Department of Health and they, in turn, will get repayment from your local HA.

It is important to stress, however, that there would be very few cancer treatments that might be considered in this way, since almost all the treatments of proven value are available in the UK.