US-UK drug deal could result in 229,000 excess deaths in England, analysis suggests
Summary
A UK-US trade deal on medicines will force the NHS to spend an extra £45 billion by 2036, leading to cuts in other health services. An analysis predicts these funding changes could cause about 229,000 extra deaths in England due to reduced care.Key Facts
- The UK-US trade deal requires the NHS to pay around £44.7 billion more for new medicines by 2036.
- This increased spending means less money for other essential NHS services.
- Cuts to healthcare could cause 229,000 extra deaths in England, mainly from heart, respiratory, digestive diseases, and cancer.
- Including adult social care impacts raises the total possible deaths to 291,000.
- The NHS currently spends £14.4 billion annually on innovative treatments and will double this spending relative to the UK economy under the deal.
- The deal aims to help UK drug exports avoid US tariffs threatened by President Trump.
- UK ministers say the deal will benefit patients by giving access to new medicines but admit costs will rise over time.
- The Department of Health and Social Care, not the Treasury, will cover the increased NHS costs.
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