Conservative proposals would speed up access to new drugs

Andrew Lansley has unveiled plans to transform the duties and responsibilities of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The Shadow Health Secretary said that NICE is too often given as "an excuse for delay" to NHS patients, who get slower access new life-enhancing and life-extending drugs than any other major European country.

Our proposals would:

• Speed up access to new clinically effective drugs - allowing patients to access new drugs within 3 to 6 months, rather than the current average 18 month waiting time.

• Take politicians out of the process of recommending new drugs and treatments for referral to NICE, saving at least three months.

• Allow NICE to begin its assessment as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency begins phase three of its trials.

• Introduce a new system of value based pricing, while supporting risk sharing deals with drug companies, meaning that all new clinically effective medicines should be available for clinicians to prescribe.

• Allow NICE to take into account the wider social cost of denying a drug to patients when assessing its value or benefit.

• Shift the decision making power over the supply of new drugs from NICE to front line doctors.

• Shift the burden of proof as to the effectiveness of new drugs from NICE to the manufacturer – the drugs company will have to prove it will work rather than NICE prove it does not.

• Give NICE a statutory basis with a written Charter, outlining clearly its roles and responsibilities.

• Set up a steering committee comprising of the pharmaceutical industry and NICE representative to promote dialogue and understanding between the two.

Andrew said, “In 1999 when it established NICE, Labour said it would abolish the postcode lottery in healthcare, but they have not succeeded.  What we need to do is arrive at a point where doctors are in a position to be able to make these decisions for their patients and are actually able to provide the care that is right for them.”

And he added, “While the Government has dithered, we are today putting forward the proposals which would mean NICE could fulfil that more positive role, enabling people to have access to life saving drugs and treatments swiftly and efficiently.”