Pharma deal potentially great news, but there are worries over funding

Responding to the announcement of the UK-US pharmaceuticals deal, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, said:

"This deal is potentially very good news for patients, for the NHS and for UK life sciences.

"It is great that NHS patients will have increased access to groundbreaking new treatments.

"The announcement also builds on the longstanding close partnership between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry, making this the best place in the world to carry out clinical trials.

"However it is not yet clear how it will be paid for.

"There is absolutely no slack in current published NHS spending plans for this major commitment and that is a real worry for trust leaders."