The Labour Party 2017 General Election Manifesto has been launched today [Tuesday 16 May] in Bradford. 'For The Many, Not The Few' outlines the party’s vision for a Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has published a response to the Labour Party manifesto, which is available online via the ABPI Manifesto hub.
Key policy announcements include:
- The Labour Party has committed to ‘investing £30bn in extra funding to the NHS over the course of the next Parliament’ and upholding the NHS Constitution, including ‘guaranteeing access to treatment within 18 weeks’
- The Labour Party has pledged to ‘tackle the growing problem of rationing of services and medicines across England and ensure all NHS patients get fast access to the most effective new drugs and treatments’. Labour has also said it will deliver the Cancer Strategy for England by 2020
- The Labour Party has outlined that it would deliver increased NHS funding partly through increased Corporation Tax and Income Tax for the top 5% of earners
- On Brexit, the Labour Party has said it will negotiate a close new relationship with the EU, including cooperation with the European Medicines Agency.
In a statement the ABPI said: "The pharmaceutical industry welcomes the Labour Party's commitment to ensuring patients get fast access to new medicines through a NHS boosted by increased levels of funding.
"However, as Britain negotiates its departure from the EU, the UK must convince the rest of the world that Britain is open for business. As such, the pharmaceutical industry is concerned that Labour's headline pledges on taxation – such as increasing Corporation Tax – may have unintended consequences that could undermine the UK's global competitiveness."
The ABPI has analysed the policies announced in the manifesto under each of the three themes set out in the ABPI’s own manifesto document, 'Securing the Opportunity for UK Life Sciences by 2022'.
Securing a world-class NHS for UK patients
As part of a strategy to make patient outcomes in NHS the best in the world, the ABPI says it believes that UK spending on health care should increase to reach the G7 average by the end of the next parliament. Labour's pledge to increase NHS spending by £7.4bn a year would be an important step towards this ambition, and whilst the ABPI welcome this significant investment, it urges caution in the party's suggested model for funding this increase.
The association says it welcomes Labour's important commitment to ensuring NHS patients get fast access to new medicines. New medicines are crucial to providing world-class care, yet right now, for every 100 patients in comparable countries who have access to a new medicine in its first year of launch, just 18 patients in the UK receive the same.
The manifesto also confirms that a Labour government would seek to reach agreements with pharmaceutical companies to ensure value for money and faster access to medicines for patients. The ABPI continues to welcome such an approach, which should balance value for money, patient access to new medicines and rewarding innovation from companies.
The current Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, agreed between government and industry, caps 80% of the NHS new medicines bill so that it does not grow by more than an average of 1.1% until the end of 2018. Any expenditure over the cap is refunded by PPRS member companies, who between them have paid back £1.7bn since 2014.
Securing global investment and jobs
At a time when the UK needs to encourage global companies to invest and grow their business, the ABPI is concerned that Labour's proposals to increase Corporation Tax while also levying higher taxes on highly skilled workers and their businesses, would have unintended consequences for the UK's global competitiveness.
However, the party's commitment to increasing R&D investment to 3% of GDP is welcome, and feels that together with a joined-up Industrial Strategy, this would help the UK maintain its status as a world-leader in research based pharmaceuticals.
Securing a new relationship with the EU that prioritises patient and public health
The ABPI welcomes the Labour Party's intent to negotiate an ongoing cooperative relationship between the UK and the European Medicines Agency. Achieving alignment to continue proportionate, robust and effective medicines regulation is important for patients and public health in the UK and the EU.
It also welcomes the ambition for UK scientists to continue to collaborate on cross EU scientific research projects, as well as seeking continued participation in Horizon 2020.