Over the 6-year period to September 2025, only 56% of blood cancer treatments were successful in being approved for NHS use in England, compared to 74% of new treatments for other cancers. A report by the Blood Cancer Alliance (BCA) also found that, during the same time period, 38% of NICE appraisals of blood cancer treatments were terminated, meaning they could not be made available to NHS patients, compared to only 14% across other cancer treatments
The research also looked into whether any of the treatments with terminated appraisals in the UK were available overseas. The research assessed seven comparator countries and found that nine treatments subject to terminated appraisal in the UK were available to patients in France, and six were available to patients in Canada.
This reflects a wider picture where the UK spends less on medicines than other European countries. Medicines account for 9% of the UK’s healthcare expenditure, compared to countries such as Germany (14%), Italy (17%), and France (13%).
Medicine budgets are understandably under pressure, but treating new medicines solely as a cost to be contained overlooks the wider picture. Innovative treatments often prevent future healthcare costs, keep people healthier for long, and allow them to contribute more fully to society. When the system is too narrowly focused on short-term expenditure, we lose sight of the long-term economic and social value of innovation.
By taking a longer-term approach and viewing investment in medicines as an investment in the nation's health, we can restore confidence and ensure that patients in the UK benefit from the very best in modern medicine.
