How Labour diverted billions from NHS services to appease Trump – The Latest

Analysis suggests the NHS will divert billions from essential services to fund new medicines as part of a US-UK trade deal agreed in December. This diversion could potentially result in over 200,000 excess deaths. Ministers state the deal aims to protect British drug exports from US tariffs and ensure patient access to medication. However, critics allege the Labour party yielded to pressure from Donald Trump. The article features a discussion with columnist Aditya Chakrabortty.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggests a UK-US pharmaceutical trade deal, signed in December, could lead to an estimated 229,000 excess deaths. The agreement requires the UK to increase its spending on new US medicines from 0.3% to 0.6% of GDP by 2036, diverting billions of pounds from other NHS services. Researchers argue this commitment, without increased overall NHS funding, creates significant opportunity costs, impacting population health. While UK politicians defended the deal as providing access to life-changing medicines and boosting the life sciences sector, the BMJ research indicates it benefits pharmaceutical companies at the expense of NHS patients and could lead to substantial increases in adult social care costs due to rising morbidity and mortality.

An analysis published in the British Medical Journal suggests a UK-US trade deal agreed in December will cost the NHS £44.7 billion by 2036 to pay for new medicines. This increased spending, intended to help British drug exports avoid US tariffs, could lead to 229,000 excess deaths in England due to diverted funds from essential services. Health experts and opposition MPs have raised concerns about the deal's impact, accusing ministers of yielding to US demands. The government maintains the deal safeguards medicine access and drives investment, though its own cost estimates differ significantly from the analysis.