News

Pharma Times, Selina McKee, 15 June 2017

NHS, medical research, industry, patients and public health organisations, including the ABPI, BioIndustry Association and the Faculty of Public Health have come together to form a new alliance that aims to protect the UK’s interests in these areas as it negotiates to separate itself from the European Union. The Brexit Health Alliance will be co-chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, the former permanent secretary of the Department of Health, and Niall Dickson, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation. The Alliance’s position is that it is in both Europe and the UK’s interests to maintain co-operation in research and in handling public health issues, and it also wants the government to secure a commitment to medical research, the provision of alternative funding, and the right for UK citizens to receive healthcare in EU countries.

The launch of the Brexit Health Alliance was also reported by P3 Pharmacy.

Hunt: We haven’t exploited pharmacists’ skills enough

Chemist & Druggist, Annabelle Collins, 15 June 2017

C&D reports that Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, stated during a speech given at the NHS Confederation’s Annual Conference the UK Government had not “exploited the tremendous skills pharmacists have” nearly as “effectively as it might”. He further recognised it had been “a difficult period” for the sector as it has been asked along with “every other part” of the NHS to make efficiency savings.

Jeremy Hunt’s speech proposing a “bigger role” for pharmacy was also reported by P3 Pharmacy.

Gov’t names two new health ministers

Pharma Times, Selina McKee, 15 June 2017

The new junior health ministers who are to replace David Mowat and Nicola Blackwood after they lost their seats in the UK general election last week were announced by the UK Government. Winchester and Chandler’s Ford MP Steve Brine and Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price will join Jeremy Hunt at the Department of Health.

See PSNC’s response to the new appointments’ announcement here.

Major new NHS devolution deal revealed

Health Service Journal, Dave West, 15 June 2017

HSJ reports on the announcement of a new NHS Devolution deal in Surrey, the second after Great Manchester. Details are yet to be finalised, such as governance and local government involvement, but the detail will be similar to the Great Manchester one. While there are some “devolution” arrangements in Greater London, these do not involve as significant delegation of powers or budgets as with this deal.

June 2017 Price Concessions/NCSO

PSNC, 14 June 2017

The Department of Health has granted the following price concessions for June 2017:

The price concession only applies to the month that it is granted.

Please note negotiations are still ongoing regarding a number of products.

Contractors will be alerted to any updates through our website and via our e-news email.  If you wish to subscribe to our email list, you can receive an email as soon as any announcements are made. Please note that PSNC cannot provide details of generic products that are suspected of being affected by generic supply problems unless and until the Department of Health grants a concession. No additional endorsements are required for price concessions.

If you have problems obtaining a Part VIII product or problems obtaining the product at the set Drug Tariff price, please report the issue to PSNC using the online feedback form on the PSNC Website.

If you have been able to source the product, please provide full details of the supplier and price paid. PSNC will investigate the extent of the problem and if appropriate discuss the issue with the Department of Health.

Any further concessions will be posted here on the website.

Parliamentary Coverage

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Full Coverage

Pharma Times, Selina McKee, 15 June 2017

NHS, medical research, industry, patients and public health organisations have come together to form a new alliance* that aims to protect the UK’s interests in these areas as it negotiates to separate itself from the European Union.

The Brexit Health Alliance – which will be co-chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, the former permanent secretary of the Department of Health, and Niall Dickson, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation – seeks to ensure that issues such as healthcare research, access to technologies and treatment of patients are given prominence and attention throughout the process.

The Alliance’s position is that it is in both Europe and the UK’s interests to maintain co-operation in research and in handling public health issues, and it also wants the government to secure a commitment to medical research, the provision of alternative funding, and the right for UK citizens to receive healthcare in EU countries.

These issues, says Dickson, “will have a profound impact on the future health and wellbeing of patients both here and in Europe”.

“Our aim will be to ensure a strong focus on health as Brexit approaches, and that we offer views from across the health sector to negotiators to ensure that patient care and the population’s health and wellbeing will be protected as we leave the EU,” added Sir Hugh.

Negotiations of the UK’s departure from the EU are due to start next week, but there remains much confusion over the UK’s position in the wake of the general election last week, in which the Conservatives failed to secure a majority government.

There remain significant and wide-ranging concerns over Brexit’s potential impact on the UK’s health and life sciences sectors.

Aside from the direct hit to NHS staff, as recently highlighted by a 96 percent drop in EU nursing applicants and estimates that more than 2,000 GPs could be lost if EU workers’ rights in the UK aren’t protected, the country stands to lose the European Medicines Agency, which some fear could result in delays to drug approvals and launches.

*Founding members of the Alliance are: the NHS Confederation; Welsh NHS Confederation; Northern Ireland Confederation; Association of UK University Hospitals; Academy of Medical Royal Colleges; NHS Providers; National Voices; Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry; Association of British Healthcare Industries; The Richmond Group of Charities; BioIndustry Association; Faculty of Public Health; Association of Medical Research Charities; and Scottish NHS Chief Executive Group.

Gov’t names two new health ministers

Pharma Times, Selina McKee, 15 June 2017

The government has now named the two new junior health ministers who are to replace David Mowat and Nicola Blackwood after they lost their seats in the general election.

Winchester and Chandler’s Ford MP Steve Brine and Jackie Doyle-Price, MP for Thurrock, will join Jeremy Hunt at the Department of Health.

“I am very pleased to have been appointed as minister for public health. It is a wide ranging portfolio and I look forward to being able to make a real difference,” Doyle-Price said on social media, while Brine commented: “Very pleased the Prime Minister has asked me to join the Department of Health. They don’t waste any time here … much to do”.

Doyle-Price has been an assistant government whip since May 2015, while Brine also took on the same role in July 2015.

The government also confirmed that Ludlow MP Philip Dunne will retain his position as a minister of state for health and Lord O’Shaughnessy stays as junior health minister.

Major new NHS devolution deal revealed

Health Service Journal, Dave West, 15 June 2017

A health and social care devolution style deal is being put in place in Surrey, it has been announced – the second after Greater Manchester.

The arrangement will be similar to the one in Greater Manchester but not exactly the same.

Transformation funding for the Surrey Heartlands area – covering Surrey Downs, North West Surrey, and Guildford and Waverley clinical commissioning groups – will be confirmed for the coming years.

Extended delegated commissioning arrangements are also due to be put in place for the patch, however it is understood these are not yet finalised. The detail – for example of governance and local government involvement – are not yet clear.

It is the first area to receive a similar deal to Greater Manchester. There are some “devolution” arrangements in Greater London but these do not involve significant delegation of powers or budgets.

NHS England said: “This agreement will bring together the NHS locally with Surrey county council to integrate health and social care services and give local leaders and clinicians more control over services and funding.”

Matthew Tait – the former NHS England director who was recently appointed as joint chief officer for the CCGs – is expected to be confirmed as the accountable individual for the system; in a role akin to Jon Rouse’s in Manchester.

The patch includes the constituency of health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Surrey was the subject of a row earlier this year over an apparent deal with the government to receive additional funding in return for dropping a referendum on raising council tax. At the time, the government cited the “devolution deals” it was working on.

It is part of announcements by NHS England today focusing on integration and developing health systems. NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens was expected to name the first confirmed “accountable care systems” today at Confed 2017. These are also due to receive delegated transformation funding and powers.

NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh is expected to say later today: “We need to heal fractures between services and tear down those administrative, financial, philosophical and practical barriers to the kinds of services our patients want us to deliver.”

The national commissioning body is also announcing that it struck a deal with drugs company Roche to make the cancer drug Kadcyla available for routine use on the NHS, having previously rejected it on the grounds of affordability.