Former health secretary Victoria Atkins has said Wes Streeting is “refusing to meet” pharmaceutical and life sciences companies during a debate in which the pair traded barbs over the state of the community pharmacy sector. 

Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins, who was in the Conservative cabinet from November 2023 until the July election, accused Mr Streeting of “silence” on the need to develop new medicines and health technologies during a Commons debate yesterday (October 7) on the implications of Lord Darzi’s report on the NHS. 

Ms Atkins said that while new drugs “will be at the forefront of the reforms needed in health services across the world,” the Darzi report “mentioned NICE only once in 163 pages”. 

She added: “Even worse, I am hearing from the life sciences sector that he and his team are refusing to meet these businesses, putting at risk the hundreds of millions of pounds of investment that the Conservative Government secured, as well as the highly skilled jobs they provide and the life-enhancing treatments they promise our constituents.”

The pharmaceutical industry has for several years been calling for greater investment to support the development of new therapies and ensure the UK market is attractive to manufacturers. 

Mr Streeting has made some moves towards the sector since his appointment as health secretary, for example arguing in July that the health and life sciences sector will be key to future economic growth and announcing £400m investment in clinical trials in August. 

However, Ms Atkins claimed: “After nearly 100 days, there has not been anything yet for us to scrutinise or indeed support from this government.”

Labour’s health secretary was scathing of the former Conservative government’s record during the debate, accusing it of failing to invest in the NHS and asking Ms Atkins “how many pharmacies went bust on her watch”.  

Ms Atkins shot back: “[Mr Streeting] supported Pharmacy First when I introduced it, so I am a little surprised that he seems to be casting doubt on it.”

The debate also heard from Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, who said: “Improving access to primary care means investing in more GPs, more NHS dentists and more community pharmacists. 

“The reports that we have heard of potential cuts to spending in the Budget are deeply concerning. I urge the secretary of state to guarantee today that they will not happen.”