Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the pharmaceutical industry on reforming the NHS branded medicines pricing and access scheme.

The Government will always prioritise the needs of National Health Service patients and understands that delivering access to medicines is an important part of delivering frontline services. The pharmaceutical sector, and the innovative medicines it produces, are critical to our NHS and the Plan for Change.

The voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) saw the headline payment rate for newer medicines increase significantly, taking effect in January 2025. This led to bringing forward the mid-scheme review of VPAG from autumn 2025 to earlier in the year. This review was carried out jointly with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to ensure that it continues to deliver for both the industry and NHS. Despite the Government putting forward an unprecedented offer, no agreement was reached as part of this review, however our door has remained open to engagement with industry on all matters relating to life sciences investment and development.

The Government is also delivering the Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10-Year Health Plan, a 10-year vision backed by over £2 billion in investment and 33 actions, to support every stage of the life sciences value chain. This includes boosting UK manufacturing capacity and launching new research and development initiatives to accelerate innovation, ensuring the UK remains an attractive destination for pharmaceutical development and the launch of new medicines.