News

Update on PrEP

We welcome this judgment by the Court of Appeal which sets out three important rulings.

First, it establishes that NHS England has the ability but not the obligation to fund PReP.

Second, it means that should we decide to do so, we would not be subject to legal challenge on these grounds from rival ‘candidates’ for specialised commissioning funding.

Third, it overturns the High Court in helpfully clarifying that Parliament did not intend that the NHS was expected to fund local authorities’ public health responsibilities just because they have not done so.

In the light of the Court ruling we will therefore now quickly take three actions. First, we will formally consider whether to fund PreP. Second, we will discuss with local authorities how NHS-funded PreP medication could be administered by the sexual health teams they commission. Third, we will immediately ask the drug manufacturer to reconsider its currently proposed excessively high pricing, and will also explore options for using generics. We expect to be able to update on these developments shortly.

9 comments

  1. M A Le-Count says:

    People are getting infected daily. Stop delaying now.

  2. Rebecca Day says:

    For those of us who are lay patient partners/representatives etc (and I work in several voluntary/lay roles for the NHS)it would be helpful if all acronyms could be followed by what they stand for in brackets immediately after the first mention, rather than having to seek a link or search to find out.

  3. KASSANDER says:

    For those of you, like me, who prefer things to be explained:
    “Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a course of HIV drugs taken before sex to reduce the risk of getting HIV.”
    For more explanation:
    http://www.tht.org.uk/sexual-health/About-HIV/Pre-exposure-Prophylaxis

  4. richard banyard says:

    How can PreP possibly be prioritised in view of all the other competing pressures on the NHS budget – this is a lifestyle choice. Why shouldn’t the individuals themselves pay for the medication, rather than the rest of society being expected to absorb all the cost?

    • Terry says:

      @ Richard barnyard. This medication will stop people catching/spreading/dying of HIV and AIDS. in providing this, the NHS will save money, as once someone has HIV, the cost to treat them is much greater. I also think a “lifestyle choice” is a horrible thing to say, if indeed you are referring to gays? If not, you’ve chosen your words poorly, but this isn’t the issue in hand. HIV is spread by gay people and straight people, it’s also spread through drug users for example. Doctors and nurses can catch it from a contaminated needle by accident. THESE people are also at risk and should be able to take medication to prevent it. If awareness is raised, everyone who needs to can take it, and eventually, we can rid this world of a horrible disease. Stop being negative, stop being selfish, and think about saving innocent lives rather than worrying about the extra pence it might cost you

    • Anonymous says:

      So is smoking, so is drinking. We do not discriminate against those things. Unless you’ve lived an exceptionally healthy life, you have no right to say that your health conditions haven’t been in some was exacerbated by your lifestyle and things you could have prevented.

    • Luke says:

      Overeating, smoking and drinking are lifestyle choices too….?

  5. Barry Keown says:

    What actually *is* PeEP please??

  6. Dr J J Petersen-Camp says:

    Please proof-read your web content before release.

    NHS England commissions national specialist services and communicates about them on a national scale. Attention to detail is important. Every single press release on this subject to date has been littered with typographic errors.

    It is difficult to have confidence in the Organisation’s ability to consider treatments which it does not know how to refer to in written English.

    The treatment under consideration is:
    Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (not “prophylaxyis”).
    It is abbreviated to PrEP (not “PReP” nor “PreP” nor “PREP”).