Ian Collins Angry That NHS Has To Pay For PrEP

11 November 2016, 08:37

Ian Collins is angry that the NHS is being made to fund a preventative drug for HIV at the expense of other treatments.

The Court of Appeal has told NHS England it is responsible for covering the £20million costs of providing PrEP to around 10,000 people, who are deemed to be at risk because their partners have HIV.

That will mean that they will struggle to pay for treatment for conditions like cystic fibrosis. And Ian is not happy about that.

Speaking on his LBC show, he said: "Critics have said at £400 per person per month, the drug treatment is too expensive and those in that high risk group should be encouraged to practice safer sex. Well just don't have sex at all.

"We are funding a drug for people who haven't got HIV, but as a way of protecting them so that they might not get it so they can still have sex with their partner and not worry about protection.

"That is the dictionary definition of a scandal. Can someone enlighten here?

"Nick Perry who's been taking PrEP as part of a trial and said that the drug was part of a host of measures to help people practice safer sex and for the him, it had taken the fear away.

"But if it's costing the NHS that much money, don't have sex, Nick. Sorry.

"Love your partner, hug your partner, kiss your partner, do all manner of other things you can do with your partner, just don't have sex. If your partner HIV positive, don't have sex. There's lots of people that don't have sex for lots of reasons.

"Do you think kids who've got cystic fibrosis don't have to give things up, or change their lifestyle because of their disease? Of course they do.

"And you're being asked to just simply keep your pants on. This is not a drug that is funding people with HIV. It is funding people without HIV so that they can sleep with people with HIV. That's it."