February 11th 2025

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Greater use of biosimilars proposed in draft secondary care contract

A draft secondary care contract for 2025-26 proposes greater use of biosimilar medicines and reduced referrals to GPs.

NHS England » Draft NHS Standard Contract 2025/26: A consultation – proposed changes to the NHS Standard Contract for 2025/26 proposes that providers should use all reasonable endeavours to ensure use of best-value biological medicines.  

The consultation also aims to reduce referrals and automatic discharge back to the GP.

According to an article in The Pharmaceutical Journal, more than 250 products, including biologics, will lose their patent protection before the end of 2029, 

Comments about the proposals should be made by 25 February 2025 via the NHS England Consultation Hub