The Northern Ireland section of the top UK doctors' body, the British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed yesterday's decision by UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson, to allow patients in England to pay privately for drugs without having their associated NHS treatment withdrawn.

Dr Stephen Austin, Chairman of the BMA's Consultants Committee in NI, said that the Association would be lobbying the NI Government to go 'down the same route'.

"This is good news for patients in England but Northern Ireland needs a similar decision.

"Sometimes expensive drugs are not readily available on the NHS yet if patients decide to purchase them privately they may not be able to continue with their treatment on the NHS.

"This is very unfair," he said, "especially where life threatening illnesses are affecting patients."

The BMA in general said that this issue is part of a much wider debate on the future of healthcare.

Official statements have said that as new, expensive drugs become available, and the population ages, it is increasingly important that society recognises that there are very real limits to what the NHS can and cannot do.

The public, politicians and the medical profession must be fully involved in these discussions, the BMA has stated.

See: NHS Drug 'Top Up' Plans Announced

(BMcC)