Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of diverting approximately £3 billion a year from frontline healthcare services to “appease” Donald Trump and protect the pharmaceutical industry from potential trade tariffs.
Okay News understands that the British government is facing intense criticism from the Liberal Democrats following a controversial deal with the United States that will see the National Health Service (NHS) pay significantly higher prices for new medications.
The agreement, which was finalized in early December, involves a 25% increase in the pricing threshold used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to determine which medicines are cost-effective for the NHS. Under the new terms, the assessment baseline will rise from the current £20,000–£30,000 range to £25,000–£35,000 per patient. While the government argues this shift will allow the NHS to approve innovative, life-saving drugs that were previously deemed too expensive, critics contend that the financial burden will cripple an already struggling social care system.
The cost of the deal is a major point of contention between independent experts and the government. While Whitehall suggests the annual cost will sit around £1 billion by 2029, the medical journal The Lancet and various opposition leaders estimate the true cost to be closer to £3 billion. Ms. Cooper labeled the move a “Trump tax,” claiming that the funds are being rerouted into the pockets of “big pharma” at a time when healthcare budgets are being raided to maintain diplomatic relations.
Government officials, including Science Secretary Liz Kendall, have defended the policy, stating that it will incentivize the life sciences sector to continue investing and innovating within the United Kingdom. However, the Liberal Democrats have called on the Prime Minister to scrap the deal, arguing that it was made without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny. They are demanding that the billions earmarked for drug price hikes be reinvested directly into social care and frontline treatment to address the systemic issues currently facing the NHS.
