A DAD with incurable kidney cancer says a decision to make a breakthrough medicine available on the NHS has given him "hope for the future".

Ed Gerrard, from Bicton Avenue, in St Peter's, Worcester, was given just 12 months to live after tests revealed he had a large tumour in his kidney last December.

The 44-year-old teacher, who has two young sons, was originally being treated with a drug called axitinib. But in September a scan revealed the worst possible news - it had stopped working.

Now however a "game-changing" medicine called nivolumab - which has just been made available to kidney cancer patients on the NHS - has given Mr Gerrard fresh hope, and could increase his life-expectancy.

"It has given me hope for the future," he said. "There is a hope there that wasn't even a week ago. Not just for me, but for thousands of other kidney cancer patients."

Until last Friday, the drug was only available privately.

Mr Gerrard had previously been considering self-funding the medication but said it would cost £30,000 for each three-month course of treatment.

But a decision by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) means nivolumab can now be prescribed for adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma - a type of kidney cancer.

"I am really, really relieved to be honest," said Mr Gerrard, who hopes to start treatment at Worcestershire Royal Hospital this week.

"I was out of options really. The fact that this announcement has come now is a massive help for me. I am really, really pleased because otherwise I would have had nothing to go on to.

"I have got two young sons. My aim is to be around as a father for them as long as I possibly can. I just want to remain healthy, remain positive and do all I can."

Kidney cancer is a difficult disease to diagnose, with one-in-four cases in England diagnosed when the patient is already at an advanced stage.

It is estimated around 900 patients in the advanced and incurable stages of this disease are likely to be treated with the innovative new drug each year.

Professor John Wagstaff, professor of medical oncology at Swansea University, said: "This decision is a major turning point, which will bring a new wave of immunotherapy to kidney cancer patients.

"Nivolumab has demonstrated its potential to improve survival rates in clinical trials and NICE has now recognised the importance of achieving this for patients in England and Wales."

Nick Turkentine, chief executive officer of Kidney Cancer UK, called the decision "a leap forward" for cancer care in England and Wales.