EXCLUSIVE: Secret NHS plot to slash costs could see YOUR prescription drugs AXED

The NHS is considering scrapping some drugs to save money

THE Government is plotting a huge review of medicines available on the NHS which could see life-saving drugs axed, NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com can reveal.

 

Some pills currently used for treating conditions including cancer and Alzheimer's could have their state funding reevaluated as part of a root and branch inquiry to help achieve budget cuts. 

Top secret 'discussions' reveal that the assessment, which would form part of the Government's overarching spending review, will encompass some "products currently available under pharmaceutical remuneration", including prescriptions.

As a result some drugs and medicines currently available on the NHS could be judged on their effectiveness and value for money, with a view to axing those which do not make the grade.

The explosive revelations are contained in emails sent by Department of Health officials and seen by NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com

 

A spokesman for the department insisted that the emails were "informal correspondence" and that carrying out such a review is "not official policy".

Plans for the wide-ranging review came to light after respected medical campaign group The Good Thinking Society (TGTS) threatened the Department of Health with a legal challenge over its continued funding of homeopathy treatments.

The charity, which is opposed to pseudoscientific treatments, has argued that the Government has a legal responsibility to ban the sugar pill remedies because there is no scientific evidence to suggest that they work.

 

The NHS is likely to be hit on November 25 when a review on public spending is published

After being told of the planned legal proceedings a department of health lawyer emailed the group on September 11 urging them to await the announcement of the Government's spending review before taking action.

The lawyer wrote: "I can confirm that since the General Election the Government has been re-assessing its funding decisions. The discussions around these decisions are still on-going.

"However, I can confirm that these discussions relate to products currently available under pharmaceutical remuneration, which by definition, includes homeopathic products."

 

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is reviewing costs across the NHS

 

It's an absolute disaster. If you wanted to sit down and decide how not to manage the NHS, this is how to do it

Health campaigner Jos Bell

The revelations will spark fears that some treatments could be added to an NHS blacklist, which contains more than 3,000 products which cannot be prescribed on the health service.

Alongside more expensive life-extending drugs controversial remedies including homeopathy, hypnotherapy and acupuncture could come under the microscope.

Michael Marshall, Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, said: "A comprehensive review of products which can be prescribed and reimbursed by the NHS is certainly an interesting development, and we keenly await the outcomes, particularly with respect to homeopathic remedies.

"We firmly believe that any spending of limited NHS resources on homeopathy is unjustifiable, and we are prepared to continue our campaign of legal challenges to highlight the wastage of public money on these firmly-discredited remedies."

If successful, the controversial treatments would join a blacklist containing items as varied as acne lotions, Nurofen, vitamin pills, suntan lotion and even Ribena and wine.

Those products are listed in amendments to the 2005 Prescription of Drugs Regulations and cannot be prescribed on the NHS by law.

Last month NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com revealed how the NHS is still spending more than £5 million a year on homeopathic remedies despite the fact that its own website states they do not work.

The Tories ordered a huge review into public spending, due to be published on November 25, after sweeping to power in May's General Election. It comes at a time when the health service is facing an uphill struggle to meet efficiency savings imposed by swingeing Government budget cuts.

The NHS is currently in the grip of a huge funding crisis, with staff morale said to be at an all-time low and Junior Doctors threatening to strike over controversial cost-cutting changes to their contracts. Shock statistics published on Friday revealed that health trusts racked up an astonishing £1 billion deficit in just three months from April to June this year..

 

In July this year Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned patients they will have to pay for more NHS services in the future because "there is no such thing as a free health service".

Reacting to the revelations, veteran health campaigner Jos Bell said: "It's definitely of concern. If they are going to focus on cutting out medication that's presumably proven to work and then say 'sorry patient, you're not worth this amount anymore' whereas previously they were, then that's a complete imbalance of priorities.

"It's an absolute disaster. If you wanted to sit down and decide how not to manage the NHS, this is how to do it."

 

Drugs and medicines on the NHS could be judged on their effectiveness and value for money

A spokesman for the Department of Health said that emails shared between its representatives and TGTS were "informal correspondence" and do not represent "official Department of Health policy".

When reminded the emails to the TGTS were from a department of health lawyer the spokesman added “its an inference, [the review] might be happening, there no indication, this isn’t policy.”

The spokesman recited there is "no specific review taking place into NHS funding decisions" but that health will be involved in the wider spending review of all Government departments.

He said the department cannot comment on the specifics of what will be included in Mr Osborne's review.