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LGA - Councils respond to Appeal Court judgement on HIV prevention drug
Chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, responds to today's ruling by the Court of Appeal on the HIV treatment PrEP.
We are pleased that today's ruling by the Court of Appeal confirms our position that NHS England has the power to commission the HIV treatment PrEP.
"We were disappointed that NHS England chose to challenge the High Court decision, at great expense to the taxpayer and at a time when council and health budgets are under huge pressures.
"We argued that NHS England was wrong in law and that its powers include commissioning for preventative purposes, such as HIV-related drugs.
"During the transition period to the implementation of the NHS and Care Act 2010, NHS England sought to retain commissioning of HIV therapeutics, which the PrEP treatment clearly falls into.
"We now hope this decision will provide much-needed clarity around the roles of councils and the NHS on prevention services.
"It also demonstrates that both parties have the joint responsibility of ensuring we can deliver an integrated sexual health system as Parliament originally intended.
"It is time for NHS England to stop delaying and finally determine whether to commission this treatment, which could greatly reduce the risk of HIV infection."
