Brexit: Tory minister admits US will be able to increase price of drugs bought by NHS

I find the notion that we will just go out and negotiate any deals we want extremely naive. We may be the 5th wealthiest country in the world. So what? Does that give us a magic negotiating wand? I believe that we will soon find out that the so called ”special relationship” we have with the US is not so special after all.

It matters not where drugs are produced they are subject to supply and demand just like any other commodity. Some are made in the US others are made in India or China, if a company spends billions on developing a new treatment it wants to see a profit on that in the years before the patent elapses.
We all want paying for the work we do wether that be £10 or £50 per hour, we dont work for nothing nor do drug companies

As well as the US pharmaceutical companies, I would be surprised if the US Health insurance companies haven't got their sights set on our financially struggling NHS hospital trusts.

This

There was a fact check bit on Today this morning.

There is a real issue with the NHS. Do US Pharmas want greater access to the NHS? Yes. Will they keep lobbying? Yes, just as big US agricultural companies are going to keep lobbying for more access to our food supply.

Yes, the UK can say no to all of that. However, a blanket no on both these sectors might give us so little in return from the US that you begin to ask how useful any trade deal would be.

To summerise. If you want a trade deal with the US instead of the one we have with the EU we will have to give up protecting our very good drugs buying which will be at great cost to the NHS and we will have to lower our standards for foods. Otherwise, we will not get anywhere near enough to replace what we lose.

I have to admit that I don't do twitter. I am still trying to work it out. I imagine our age group are not the greatest users but the tweet that got the most likes/retweets (?) yesterday into today was one made by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I have posted it here but perhaps someone could link it for veracity. I will tell you in the next post what the people are saying.

Yes I saw that gg3 don’t know how to do links though.

First woman: 10 Grand! for a baby!

Next guy: Is there a price for that? (the film doesn't say what for)
$100?
Interviewer: Two and a half grand

Guy 2 asked the cost of an ambulance call-out replies "zero payment"
Interviewer: Zero payment?
G2: Yeh, zero payment
Int: No, it costs two and a half thousand dollars.
G2: For real?
Int: Yeah
G2: Okay, cool. (nervously)

Int: An inhaler?
Second woman: $100
Int: Yeah, you're pretty close; it's a little bit more
SW: $120
Int: $250 tp $350
SW: For an inhaler?
Int: Mm
SW: Man. So if you're poor, you're dead.

That's only a short bit. A link would really help

That iceberg really sums it up!

Ed Poole
@edwardpoole1975

As the manager of a GP practice I know the NHS can't take another five years of this Conservative government's outsourcing, privatisations, and cuts.

So I'm taking election week off work to campaign for
@UKLabour
and a better future for everyone.

#NHSNotforSale
#LabourForHope

twitter.com/edwardpoole1975/status/1202519721939230720?s=20

GracesGran I read a weekly american magazine which always has a health section. Most people there have to contribute financially to some insurance plan, which might or might not agree to pay for some treatment you need. I think there could be a cheaper way for the very poor.
The med insurance companies are very wealthy and I expect would love to expand abroad.

I actually just finished reading this news article here in the US (hopefully the link will work for you): www.nbcnews.com/news/world/nhs-specter-u-s-interference-looms-over-health-care-debate-n1082121

Do everything you can to keep "Big Pharma" from getting its claws on your health care system. Health is NOT their main concern by a LONG shot. They care about PROFITS to the detriment of us all. One of the families here in the US who recently lost a law suit brought against them for contributing to the horrific opioid epidemic predictably hid billions in assets in off-shore accounts. BILLIONS.