NHS needs more money, urges ABPI

There has been a warning that the rationing of the NHS treatments could potentially lead to major drug companies abandoning the UK. This comes as the new president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Lisa Anson, stresses the importance of an ‘ambitious’ new government.

“This general election comes at a critical juncture,” Anson stated. “Do we want to improve NHS patient outcomes and ensure Britain contributes to be a global player in life sciences, or run the risk of the UK becoming a desert for healthcare innovation?”

Currently, the ABPI reports that the UK is now sixth lowest out of the G7 nations for investment in healthcare, spending 9.9% of GDP. The average investment for G7 nations is 11.3%. This increase would mean an extra £20 billion a year on top of the current government NHS budget.

“The new government should commit to bringing healthcare investment in line with the G7 average in order to deliver the services and outcomes that British patients deserve,” Anson continued. “Ensuring that the NHS and life sciences industry are at the heart of the new industrial strategy, and Brexit negotiations is also crucial for securing this ambition.”

According to the ABPI, without higher spending on the health services, the UK would see companies delaying therapeutic launches as a result of there being fewer approvals. Additionally, there would be a knock-on effect for clinical trials, as without the availability of existing best treatments there would be no comparison standard for the new therapies. This latter issue will be further complicated by the departure of the EMA from the UK, which will lose access to the clinical trials portal.

The ABPI represents large global companies, such as Pfizer and Novartis, as well as British companies like GSK and AstraZeneca. Speaking at the recent annual conference where she officially took on the role as the new president of the association, Anson highlighted the importance of the industry’s reputation.

“Our reputation is vitally important,” she emphasized. “While government, the NHS and patient groups all recognise the important steps taken in recent years to improve transparency in our sector, we must now build on that work. We should do much more to highlight the value of our industry to the future productivity of the NHS and to UK plc. We must also be prepared to call out poor behaviour and separate ourselves from profiteering. This does irreparable damage to our industry reputation and the trust we seek to promote.”

She also laid out her focus on improving NHS patient access to innovative, life-changing medicines, which has already been iterated in the ABPI’s manifesto for the general election as summarised above.

“I’m passionate about seeing tangible improvements in patient access to innovative, cost-effective medicines,” Anson added. “Industry, government and the NHS need to partner on a streamlined system of medicines access that values innovation and holds the NHS and industry to account for improving patient outcomes.”