NHS to crackdown on health tourism and stop prescribing painkillers, cough remedies and giving free travel jabs in effort to save millions
NHS chief Simon Stevens reveals raft of cuts to 'low priority' items in effort to save up to £1billion in just two years
PAINKILLERS, hay fever medicine and gluten-free food are among the items that will no longer be available on the NHS in a major planned shake-up.
New health tourism rules will also be brought in to record EU patients and ensure more is done to claw back cash from their home countries in an effort to plug gaping holes in the service's budget.
NHS chief executive Simon Stevens is set to announce the plans later this week
The guidelines for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will initially be developed around a set of 10 medicines deemed ineffective, unnecessary or inappropriate for the NHS.
The review, which will take into account the views of patient groups, clinicians and providers, could extend to over-the-counter medicines which can often be bought at a much lower cost without prescription.
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This could include items such as paracetamol, sun cream, cough and cold treatments, and heartburn and indigestion tablets, NHS England said.
Hospitals will alsobe set fresh targets to cut down on bed-blocking by elderly patients, while NHS managers will be prevented from hiring expensive locum doctors on up to £200,000-a-year.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, revealed the planned changes in the , telling the paper the move was aimed at cutting back on waste.
The health service has been in the grip of a financial crisis, with doctors and MPs calling for an urgent discussion on funding.
But Stevens insisted huge sums can be saved by “getting its own house in order” and cutting back on the provision of “low priority” items and treatments.
The health boss said his plans would save the service up to £1billion in two years, freeing up cash to spend on lifesaving new drugs and treatments.
Stevens told the Mail: “We’ve got to tackle some of the waste which is still in the system.
“The NHS is a very efficient health service but like every other country’s health service there is inefficiency and waste.”
“There’s £114million being spent on medicines for upset tummies, haemorrhoids, travel sickness, indigestion – that’s even before you get on to the £22million-plus on gluten free that you can also now get at Morrisons, Lidl or Tescos.”
The provision of gluten-free foods by the NHS came under fire earlier this year, with one doctor branding it a “scandal”.
Stevens will announce the raft of new measures formally later this week, the Mail reports.
He is set to launch a consultation next month into new guidelines, when medical experts and patient groups will have the chance to make their views known.
The review was prompted by research from NHS Clinical Commissioners which drew up a long list of “low priority” items.
Family doctors will also be told from July to check whether patients registering at their surgery have a European Health Insurance Card, in an effort to crackdown on health tourism.
The cards are issued by the patient's home country and entitle them to care on the NHS - which is then billed to their government.
GPs across the country will now be made to hand forms to all new patients asking them if they hold a European Health Insurance Card.
If they tick 'yes', they will then be asked to prove this before being added to a national database.
It is hoped the measure will help plug the £300million gap health tourism currently causes the NHS.
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