NHS access to innovative drugs could be cut by four years, says review

Patients could get drugs and treatment sooner under an “ambitious” plan, according to a new report.

The UK has been known to be slower than other countries when it comes to providing life-changing treatments as soon as they are available, officials said. Making the newest treatments available more quickly is among the recommendations in the Accelerated Access Review.

The report, commissioned by the government, suggests patients could have medications four years sooner than at present if NHS processes were streamlined. Officials said the report will help the UK “embrace new opportunities” as it prepares to leave the European Union.

The review said patients and medical staff become frustrated as they wait for much-needed treatments and said innovators have to “navigate multiple processes” to get their products to the market.

Chair of the Accelerated Access Review, Sir Hugh Taylor, said: “This ambitious plan will prepare the health system for an exciting era in medical innovation. We’ve listened to the views of the NHS, patients, clinicians, the life sciences industries and academia – and it is clear we need to act now to make the most of the tidal wave of new drugs and technologies that are being developed.”

NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, said the review could help create opportunities as Brexit approaches. “Across the NHS we’re going to create headroom for faster and wider uptake of important new patient treatments. In doing so we’re going to create new opportunities in the run-up to Brexit for our globally successful UK life sciences sector. If we get this right there are huge gains within our grasp, for patients across the NHS and for the wider success of our country.”

Health charities have welcomed the recommendations. Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Harpal Kumar, said: “The voices of patients have been crucial to this review. They have a critical role in advising how research priorities should be set and how they would like to be involved in developing new treatments to meet their needs.”

Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the review has come at a “crucial” time for thousands of dementia patients awaiting the results of trials of a number of potential new treatments. “If these are shown to be positive then the recommendations in this report, including the creation of a new strategic commercial unit, could help these treatments get to patients more rapidly, while ensuring that appropriate reimbursement to innovators is balanced against good value to the NHS.”

NHS access to innovative drugs could be cut by four years, says review