Life-saving cancer treatment may not arrive in time for NHS worker

Jamie Scott, an NHS worker whose cancer has spread to her brain, risks not being about to get life-saving cancer treatment, despite NICE recommending it in April 2021.

Jamie was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in June 2011 and had her right eye removed within a few weeks. That was quite the shock to her, because, in her words, “who knew eye cancer was thing?!”.

She was classed a ‘high risk’ for it spreading, and for 10 years, thankfully was OK.

Sadly, in November 2022, her worst fear was confirmed that the cancer had spread to her liver and lungs. She had two ablation procedures to remove the cancer, but in January 2024, further lesions were found in her liver.

After undergoing immunotherapy for over a year, in September 2025 she received the news that the cancer had spread to her brain, and that the lesions in her liver were continuing to grow.

She will shortly be undergoing radiotherapy for the lesion in her brain, before hopefully starting a clinical trial, but she only has a 50/50 chance of this working.

Jamie’s oncologist suggested a treatment called Chemosaturation – a life-saving treatment that is currently, unfortunately not available on the NHS.

Chemosaturation has had NICE recommendation since April 2021, but because it is classed as a ‘medical device’ and not a ‘treatment/drug’, it must go through a much lengthier approval process before it can be made available for NHS treatment.

The reality is, this may take a year or more – and Jamie might have that long.

This means her only option to get this treatment has been to ask generous friends, family and even strangers – for help in raising money to pay for it.

Despite many fundraising efforts by Jamie’s colleagues and friends (including bake sales, community raffles sharing on social media and even a t-shirt worn at a festival!), the donations haven’t been able to match the high cost for the treatment.

Jamie’s cancer has shaped some of her biggest life choices, like not having children.

After her mother passed away when she was 7 years old, Jamie, decided against having children; she couldn’t bear the thought of having a child and then getting metastatic disease and leaving her husband and child alone.

Lydia Colton-Stern, a friend and colleague, says of Jamie: “Jamie is just an incredible, inspirational person and throughout all of these health struggles, has continued to stay positive and keep her wonderful sense of humour!

“She’s such a well-loved colleague and we all want to keep her with us, keeping us all smiling and making the world a happier place every day!”.

Read more about Jamie’s story, and find a donation link on her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jamie-scott-chemosat-treatment