UK-US Pharma Deal Could Lead to Nearly 230,000 Unnecessary Deaths in England, Analysis Says
BMJ researchers said the deal would force the NHS to spend an extra £44.7 billion by 2036 and could lead to 229,000 excess deaths.
- A British Medical Journal study warns the UK-US pharmaceutical deal could cause roughly 229,000 excess deaths by 2036, as the National Health Service diverts billions of pounds toward new US medicines.
- Signed on December 1, the agreement prevents US tariffs on British pharmaceutical exports until January 19, 2029; in return, Britain committed to increasing NHS spending on new US medicines to at least 0.6 percent of GDP by 2036.
- Science Minister Patrick Vallance argued the deal grants "life-changing new medicines," but Samuel Cross of the University of Liverpool said the agreement "benefits pharmaceutical companies" at NHS patients' cost, totaling £44.7 billion in opportunity costs.
- NHS Alliance CEO Ciarán Devane said findings raise "serious questions" about value for patients, while SNP MSP Michelle Campbell called the report "absolutely damning," as critics argue the government prioritized pharmaceutical investment in England over frontline services.
- Including indirect impacts on adult social care, total excess deaths could reach 291,000, with the research predicting the greatest harm among patients with cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cancer conditions.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Study Warns UK-US Pharma Deal Could Cost 229,000 Lives
A new analysis has warned that the UK-US pharmaceutical trade agreement could contribute to nearly 229,000 avoidable deaths in England by increasing medicine spending at the expense of other National Health Service (NHS) services, reported by CNN. 💡According to the analysis published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the United Kingdom agreed to raise spending on new medicines from 0.3% to at least 0.6% of GDP over the next decade as part o…
UK-US pharma deal could lead to nearly 230,000 unnecessary deaths in England, analysis says
By Anna Cooban, CNN London (CNN) — A new trade deal between the United States and United Kingdom could result in more than 200,000 otherwise avoidable deaths in England by diverting billions of pounds away from vital health services, according to a new analysis. In December, the UK agreed with Washington DC to increase the UK’s spending on new medicines from 0.3% of GDP to at least 0.6% over the next decade as part of a broader deal aimed at avo…
Sky News UK
Great Yorkshire RadioUK-US pharmaceuticals deal will divert £45bn from essential NHS services, says doctors' union
The NHS will be forced to divert around £45bn from essential services under a UK-US pharmaceuticals deal, increasing potentially preventable deaths by 229,000, analysis from a doctors' union has found.
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