(8 years ago)
Public Bill CommitteesQ The Scottish Government have used payments from the PPRS towards a specific fund for access to new medicines. Does the panel think that a similar model would be good elsewhere in the UK?
Dr Ridge: From an NHS England point of view, the ring-fencing of moneys to support medicines, which I guess is what you are referring to, is not a position we have previously supported. We largely want to retain the position whereby NHS England and clinical commissioning groups are able to determine their own priorities, in terms of how available funding or savings are used. That is where we are on that. Priorities vary, as you know, from locality to locality and the ability to utilise moneys in a way determined locally strikes me, and strikes NHS England, as being the way to go.
Q Dr Ridge, are there any disadvantages with the Scottish system, which is different from the one you run in NHS England?
Dr Ridge: I am not sure that it is particularly for me to comment on that.