The Oxford Mail today reveals yet more worrying figures for health funding in our county.

Our Freedom of Information request showed how many treatments which are not usually funded by the NHS were actually given to patients.

Almost half of patients in Oxfordshire applying for life extending cancer drugs were turned down last year because they were not deemed ‘exceptional’ enough.

Only 30 per cent out of 514 cases for all drugs were approved, while the NHS said yes to just half of the 48 requests for cancer drugs.

Last night the Taxpayers’ Alliance pointed out the health service does not have bottomless pockets.

But it suggested more cash would be available with cuts in areas such as PR and advertising campaigns. You can’t argue with that.

Again we seem faced with the money versus survival debate.

One, we would suggest, most find unacceptable.