ABPI response to the Darzi Review: innovation must be at the heart of improvement

While there are tremendous challenges facing the UK health system, the innovative pharmaceutical industry is ready to be an active partner in helping to fix the broken NHS.

The Darzi Review makes clear how persistent under-investment in the NHS, particularly in capital assets and technology, have led to a health system in crisis. [1]

While the Review highlights many different pressures on NHS spending, we know that medicines is not one of them. This is because, unlike other areas, medicine spending is capped and controlled by the Voluntary Scheme. This has resulted in the proportion of NHS spending on innovative medicines decreasing year-on-year for almost a decade. [2]

Indeed, research by the King’s Fund, commissioned by the ABPI, demonstrates how medicines are one of the assets the UK has underinvested in by comparison to its international peers. [3]

Responding to the Darzi Review, Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, said: “This hard-hitting report makes clear the huge pressure the NHS is under, but also highlights that it is innovation that can make the NHS more sustainable.

“Turning the NHS around will require radical thinking, including investing in prevention, boosting NHS revenues through attracting more clinical research, partnering with industry to speed up diagnosis, and streamlining access to treatment.

“We need an ambitious NHS Plan to kickstart the recovery, and industry will be an active partner in helping to deliver it. In his speech, we would like the PM to outline how the NHS will work with its partners to deliver on the tilt towards better technology and use of data, how we can put research and innovation at the heart of our hospitals and primary care, and how we ensure the latest innovations quickly reach all the patients who can benefit, wherever they live.”

[1] Lord Darzi of Denham, Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, Sept 2024

[2] Source: ABPI analysis of Annual DHSC Voluntary scheme (and Statutory Scheme) aggregate net sales and payment information as a share of UK (four nations) NHS mandate (£m) [RDEL]

[3]The King’s Fund, How does the NHS compare to the health systems of other countries?, June 2023, p57, available at https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/reports/nhs-compare-health-care-systems-other-countries