Polly Toynbee describes NHS drug pricing as a “special circle of hell”, and I can vouch for that, but there are ways it can be made better (Who benefits if NHS drug prices soar? Donald Trump and big pharma. Just one more way he’s menacing Britain, 16 September).
New drugs are never cheaper than the ones they replace, so if the NHS is going to use them, they need to be better. Most newly licensed drugs do something useful for at least some patients. While a few revolutionise treatment, most edge forward improvements in the quality and length of life, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends the great majority of them.
