A FURTHER £16 million has been invested to speed up access to life-saving medicine in Wales.

Vaughan Gething, minister for health and social services, made the announcement today, Monday, March 8. The money will be added to the New Treatment Fund which was set up in 2017 and has enabled Welsh patients to access more than 265 medicines that treat more than 100 health conditions quicker.

It has cut the average time it takes for patients to be able to access newly-recommended medicines by 85 per cent, going from 90 to 13 days.

The money announced today will ensure the fund continues until April next year.

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The medicines the fund speeds access to are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group. It has provided quicker access to drugs to help treat cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis.

The fund also covers the cost of equipment needed for the administering of medicine and od holding extra clinics to treat and monitor patients.

The fund has also made arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis medicines Sarilumab and Tocilizumab available for use in the management of Covid-19.

Mr Gething said: “Since we established the New Treatment Fund it has helped to prolong and improve the lives of thousands of people across Wales.

“Patients and their families are benefiting from improved access to live saving and life changing medicines. I’m pleased to confirm the extension of the Fund which reaffirms our commitment to ensure that people receive the latest recommended treatments quickly, no matter where they live in Wales.”