The news that Andy Crabb received on Wednesday night could literally be a matter of life or death.

After more than a year of setbacks in which he twice failed to convince health chiefs he was worthy of receiving the cancer-fighting drug Sunitinib, an email popped up on his screen.

Quite what he thought when he opened it, goodness only knows, but the 50-year-old kidney cancer sufferer finally received confirmation he qualified for the drug on the NHS.

He is only the second person to whom the so-called ‘wonder drug’ has been prescribed by Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust.

Of course, we will never know how decisions are made behind closed doors, especially where individual’s health is concerned.

But although Mr Crabb’s news is fantastic, for him and those who have tirelessly campaigned on his behalf, we should not forget those in the county who have not been successful in getting the drug on the NHS.

At the last count there were more than 20.

So, what about them?

Oxfordshire PCT finds itself between a rock and a hard place, waiting for guidance from the Government’s drug commissioning body, Nice.

Until then, the waters are muddied. Some PCTs prescribe the drug while others, like Oxfordshire, don’t.

It cannot be right that individuals are denied access to treatment based on where they live — a postcode lottery.

Access to drugs and treatment on our health service is controversial at the best of times.

When someone has paid stamps all their life and is still denied treatment, it is cruel.

But who do we blame?

Instead of going through another lengthy cycle of reviews, the Government needs to issue clear and concise guidance on this issue — and fast — because time is one thing these people do not have on their hands.