A GLASGOW woman has been forced to pay more than £38,000 privately for cancer drugs that are available free to patients 46 miles away.

The Health Minister Alex Neil has been asked to intervene after Jean MacDonald, from Carmyle, was denied a treatment for ovarian cancer that has always been available to patients in Edinburgh.

So far, the 55-year-old has paid more than £38,000 for the drug Bevacizumab (Avastin), which has been shown to increase survival rates in advanced forms of the disease.

Jean was dealt a further blow when her consultant told her six patients in Edinburgh had been prescribed the drug and later, a further three in Glasgow.

The Carmyle community has rallied round to help Jean, raising thousands for her treatment, which finished in June, but she has around £4000 more to pay.

Jean was recommended for the drug by her consultant, Professor Iain McNeish at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.

When it was refused by the board her consultant lodged a number of appeals on her behalf but they were all rejected.

Jean, who is a carer for her 85-year-old mum, later learned from him that other patients in Glasgow had recently been given the drug.

Jean said, "He said to me, 'I've got a bit of bad news.' He said he had put three people forward for the drug after me and the three of them got it no problem.

"He was really angry about it.

"He said he was writing a letter to the board asking why I can't be reimbursed.

"It's terrible. It's bad enough when you are already frightened. I waived my rights, so if something went wrong with the drug the health board wouldn't be liable but it made no difference."

Councillor Anne Simpson has written to Health Secretary Alex Neil asking him to intervene and force Glasgow's health board to fund the remaining costs of Jean's treatment.

She writes: "A full explanation should be provided as to why patients in Edinburgh and now Glasgow are receiving the drug while others such as Jean MacDonald have been refused. The decision was made despite patients in Edinburgh regularly receiving the drug."

A spokesman for NHS Lothian said that although the drug is not recommended by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, is was prescribed to patients in "exceptional circumstances" under the recommendation of clinicians.

A spokeswoman for NHS GGC said the decision not to prescribe the drug complied with national guidance at the time but the criteria for eligibility had now been widened.

The board has agreed to reimburse Ms MacDonald £2,503 - the difference between the original estimated £35,000 costs and the £38,000 she has paid. The board said it would "absorb" all remaining costs of the £42,000 treatment.

A spokeswoman said, "We fully appreciate that this is a very difficult situation for this patient.

"The prescribing request was subject to extensive consideration and assessment by NHSGGC.

"This was undertaken when national guidance was different to what it is now.

"A formal agreement was signed by both parties more than a year ago to allow this medicine to be prescribed, dispensed and administered within the West of Scotland Regional Cancer Centre."

A Scottish Government spokesman said, "There is an existing agreement between NHS GGC and Ms MacDonald dating to July 2013, which NHS GGC will honour."

Some studies have shown that Bevacizumab can increase progression free survival rates by around four months when used with chemotherapy.