Pressure grows on ministers to end secrecy over UK medicines deal with Trump | NHS
Ministers are under increasing pressure to end the “secrecy” around Britain’s deal with the US on drug prices; critics claim it is “Trump’s shake-up of the NHS”.
Labor MPs and some opposition parties want the government to publish its own report impact assessment It’s part of the agreement reached with Donald Trump’s administration last month.
Under the deal, Britain will pay more for new drugs and allow the NHS to spend more on life-extending drugs in exchange for British medicines being exported to the US avoiding tariffs.
The deal has sparked concerns among healthcare experts that meeting these commitments by the deal’s end in 2035 could cost the UK government and NHS billions of extra dollars a year.
A cross-party group of Labour, Liberal Democrat, Greens and Scottish Nationalist MPs is meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss how health secretary Wes Streeting and business and trade secretary Peter Kyle will be forced to publish the government’s assessment of how the deal could affect the UK. It was organized by former Labor shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
McDonnell said: “There are real concerns that the US/UK deal will lead to significantly increased drug costs, which will drain resources from investment in NHS services.
“The government has a responsibility to publish the full impact assessment of the deal on the NHS budget and services.”
It wants ministers to commission a separate “open and transparent, independent” impact assessment of the deal to ensure full details of potential outcomes are made public.
The cross-party group of MPs will also discuss holding a Commons debate and vote on the deal, and will invite the Commons health, science and business select committees to investigate how the deal was reached and its potential consequences.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall insisted the deal would cost just £1bn between 2025/26 and 2028/29. They acknowledged that costs will rise after 2028/29 but did not make any predictions about this.
But ministers refused to give any figures for costs beyond 2028/29 or which government department would foot the bill. They did not provide these details in answers to parliamentary questions from Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs and in correspondence with the science, innovation and technology committee.
As part of the deal, the government has committed to doubling UK spending on new medicines from 0.3 per cent of GDP to 0.6 per cent by 2035; this will require continued increases in spending from now on.
Last week, in response to a freedom of information request from the campaign group Global Justice NowDHSC refused to provide information on long-term costs or provide copies of Kyle and Kendall’s correspondence with their departments. It was stated that the information sought was exempt under freedom of information legislation.
Tim Bierley, policy and campaigns manager at Global Justice Now, which submitted the FOI request, said: “The government is refusing to give the public or MPs any useful information about the true costs of this deal, despite being forced to accept that the financial burden will increase year on year. With all this secrecy, you have to wonder: what do ministers have to hide?”
Ministers stressed that the “landmark” deal would secure access to medicines for UK patients, increase pharmaceutical investment in Britain and exempt UK drug exports to the US from duty.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey slammed ministers’ refusal to reveal key information about the deal, calling it “Trump’s shake-up of the NHS” last month.
“This is an act of capitulation by Keir Starmer, who refuses to stand up to the most corrupt US president in history. His weakness means NHS spending is being determined by a foreign regime, not the British people,” Davey said.
“This is an insult to patients who suffer in cramped hospital corridors and are repeatedly told there is no money for the improvements they need.
“The government isn’t even telling us what the impact this will be on healthcare or our economy. It’s clear this is a desperate ploy to appease Trump.”
DHSC has been approached for comment.
