The NHS drugs watchdog has loosened the terms of approval for expensive treatments that extend life in patients with a short life expectancy. Drugs that would normally be ruled out of use on the NHS because they did not represent a cost effective use of resources are now more likely to be made available.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued its appraisal committees with supplementary advice when considering whether to approve treatments licensed for terminal illness that affect small numbers of patients, normally fewer than …