Greater investment in medicines vital to fix the 'broken’ NHS, says ABPI

Medicines and vaccines are vital for achieving all three major shifts needed to transform the NHS

As Health Secretary Wes Streeting initiates a national conversation about the future of the NHS, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has stressed the importance of increasing investment in medicines to fix the ‘broken’ NHS.

Streeting is inviting the public, NHS staff, and experts to share their experiences and contribute to shaping the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to build an NHS fit for the future.

The government aims to implement three big shifts to transform the NHS: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.

Richard Torbett, chief executive of the ABPI, has highlighted the vital role medicines and vaccines can play in achieving these priorities.

He said: “Wes Streeting is spot-on in identifying three strategic shifts necessary to fix the broken NHS. Medicines and vaccines have a vital role in all three of these priorities, but we are not currently realising their potential.”

“Declining investment in new medicines is part of the 'broken NHS', and if we're serious about fixing it, we need to reverse that trend.”

Torbett noted that the UK pharmaceutical industry has faced a decade of declining investment, resulting in “patchy adoption and real tensions on price.”

He stressed the need for more ambitious strategies to enhance the industry’s competitiveness in the global market.

“The UK pharmaceutical industry has a strong tradition of partnering with the government to try and grow the sector whilst also managing cost, but we now need to be much more ambitious.

“The most recent Voluntary Scheme for Medicines Pricing Access and Growth is an attempt - albeit in challenging economic times - to lay the foundations of a move back to international competitiveness,” he said.

The ABPI pointed out that while healthcare spending has increased by 18 per cent over the last decade, spending on branded medicines fell 14 per cent in real terms.

As recorded in 2022, the UK’s medicines spending was the lowest among its peers, accounting for just 9 per cent of total healthcare spending, compared to 17 per cent in Italy and Germany, and 15per cent in France.

The ABPI stressed that increasing spending on medicines is essential, stating, “Providing better access to medicine leads to better health outcomes for patients, improves workplace productivity and reduces the economic burden of ill health.”