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Evidence and consultations

Health Select Committee's inquiry into the purchase of additional drugs by NHS patients (top-up fees)

Consultation response

This paper is a response to the Health Select Committee's inquiry, conducted by Professor Mike Richards, into the consequences of additional private drugs for NHS care.

This issue is more usually expressed as whether or not patients should be allowed to top up their NHS care by paying for drugs that are not funded by the NHS. Top-up payments are already allowed in some parts of the NHS and have not proved controversial.

In this consultation response, we focus on the issue of top-ups for drugs, although any decision on these has implications for all forms of treatment throughout the NHS.