The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has called on the government to increase investment in innovative medicines and vaccines, describing it as a crucial “fourth shift” necessary to ensure the NHS is fit for the future.
This was one of the recommendations outlined in a new paper published Today (4) by the ABPI to help the government transform the NHS and drive economic growth.
Through the new NHS 10-Year Plan, the government aims to transform the NHS by shifting from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
However, ABPI argued that achieving the shifts will require a ‘fourth shift’ - investing in innovative medicines.
“Raising levels of NHS investment in innovative medicines to internationally comparable levels could significantly reduce unwarranted variation in standards of health and care, improve health outcomes, reduce health inequalities, tackle patient backlogs and support people to re-enter the workforce,” the paper stated.
The report pointed out that the UK spends less on medicines than most of its peers, with medicines accounting for 9 per cent of the UK’s healthcare spend compared to countries like Germany and Italy (both 17 per cent) and France (15 per cent).
This underinvestment, it warned, has hindered patient access to new treatments, with the number of new medicines available on the NHS in England declining by 10 per cent in recent years—marking the steepest drop among leading EU countries.
“Given that medicines and vaccines play a fundamental role in preventing both the onset and progression of disease, this is detrimental to the government’s agenda for the NHS,” the report said.
The ABPI also stressed the importance of strategic investment in NHS research capacity and health data infrastructure to deliver the NHS 10-Year Plan, and how the pharmaceutical industry can be a key partner in driving transformative change.
A critical factor in enabling greater investment in medicines, the association noted, will be the Autumn Review of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines, Pricing and Growth (VPAG).
Currently, the scheme “caps the growth in medicines spend significantly below levels of NHS demand, placing huge pressure on industry and jeopardising patient access to medicines and economic growth,” it said.
Richard Torbett, ABPI’s chief executive, emphasised that the NHS 10-Year Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan represent opportunities to drive economic growth, but this will require the government to view medicines as “an investment rather than a cost.”
“The NHS 10-Year Plan particularly must maximise the contribution of innovation from all parts of the life sciences sector to succeed, including the vital role of medicines and vaccines,” he said.
“Investing appropriately in innovative medicines and vaccines, and incentivising the research that delivers them, will power the delivery of the 10-Year Plan.
“This investment is the ‘fourth shift’ that will benefit patients, the NHS and the life sciences sector, which can then drive health and growth throughout the UK,” he added.
Life sciences are a critical pillar of the UK economy, with the pharmaceutical sector serving as the most valuable segment.
In 2022, the pharmaceutical sector invested £9 billion in research and development, generating £17.6 billion in economic value, supporting 126,000 highly skilled jobs, and driving £26.1 billion in exports.
In 2022, the pharmaceutical industry contributed £9 billion in research and development (worth £17.6 billion in economic value), 126,000 highly skilled jobs, and £26.1 billion in exports.
Additionally, commercial clinical trials raised £1.2 billion of NHS revenue, supporting 13,000 jobs in the NHS.
Helen Morgan's letter to Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.