In the year 2015 – 2016, the NHS spent £15.2 billion on medicines.
As the recent winter crisis has demonstrated so dramatically, the National Health Service is under huge financial pressure and diverse plans to cut spending are being considered. As we have mentioned previously in this blog, there are schemes for hospital and ward closures nationwide.
Additional measures to reduce the NHS spend on medication are also being considered.
The House of Commons will today discuss a bill to impose greater controls on the prices at which pharmaceutical companies sell both branded and unbranded medicines to the NHS in the hope of saving the service approximately £90 million a year.
At the same time, plans to set a limit on spending on certain medicines may come in to play as from next month, April 2017.
Currently, patients can usually access drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence where the cost is less than £30,000 per year. However, under new plans, a new affordability test may lead to delays in receiving drugs where the total cost is in excess of £20 million.
There are concerns that these measures may affect cancer and diabetes patients in particular.
As reported in The Times, Baroness Morgan, chief of Breast Cancer Now, commented that the move would be “devastating to cancer patients who are relying on new drugs to stay alive.”
Speak to a solicitor
If you believe you have been the victim of poor medical care, contact Glynns Solicitors to discuss your situation with a solicitor specialising in medical negligence cases.
Please call us on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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