The NHS will divert billions of pounds from essential services to pay for new medicines under the terms of the US-UK trade deal agreed in December, which could lead to more than 200,000 excess deaths, analysis has found.
Trade Deal Details and Impact on NHS
Ministers have defended the deal as a way of helping British drug exports avoid US tariffs and giving patients access to vital medication. However, critics accuse the Labour party of caving into pressure from Donald Trump.
The analysis, conducted by health economists, projects that the increased spending on new medicines will come at the expense of other NHS services, leading to a significant rise in preventable deaths over the next decade.
Political Reactions and Criticism
Lucy Hough speaks to columnist Aditya Chakrabortty, who argues that the deal prioritizes trade relations over public health. The government maintains that the agreement will ultimately benefit patients by accelerating access to innovative treatments.
