Responding to reports that the NHS will pay a higher price for
branded new medicines, Nuffield Trust Senior Policy Analyst,
Sally Gainsbury said:
“Higher prices for new branded medicines would be bad news for
anyone who wants to see the NHS get the most health benefit for
patients out of its spending. A big increase in the price the NHS
pays by raising the NICE threshold will not bring additional
benefits for the population as a whole, it will just make
healthcare more expensive.
“The NHS budget is already under intense pressure and so the
reported £3bn extra cost will need to be fully funded by the
Treasury. However, even if it is not to come from day-to-day NHS
budgets, that will not stop this being a deal that undermines the
NHS's ability to get the most health benefits for patients out of
its resources.
“Billions extra spending directed towards improving access to
primary care or a faster reduction in waiting times would provide
much greater benefits to the health of the population as a whole
than an agreement to pay higher prices for new medicines which
might offer hope for a few patients but come at the heavy price
of treatments and care foregone for a larger number.
“While this deal may be welcome news to some in the life sciences
industry, we need full transparency on the government's evidence
for how any benefits to the wider economy will actually be
realised.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Read more about the problems at the heart of the government's
dispute with the pharmaceutical industry in our long read from
October: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/the-tough-choices-at-the-heart-of-the-government-s-dispute-with-big-pharma
