Despite the UK’s leading position as an innovator in pharmaceuticals and the existence of multiple mechanisms to help the NHS to control its spend on medicines, the UK is slow at adopting new treatments.
For every 100 patients that get a new medicine in its 1st year of launch in other parts of the EU – including France and Germany – just 21 patients in the UK get access.
There is also significant variation across the UK when it comes to accessing different types of medicines.
If we want UK patients to have world-class healthcare we don’t just need to invest more, we also need to prioritise ensuring early access to innovation.
We need to invest more in the NHS, not just for medicines but across all areas including prevention and diagnosis.
Investing in UK healthcare will not only benefit patients but will also help to secure the future of UK science and R&D and the ability to remain a world-leader in hospital-based research including clinical trials.