In the Guardian today:

Dozens of MPs are opposing Wes Streeting’s decision to award himself power to dictate what the NHS pays for drugs amid growing concern the move may be illegal. Thirty-one MPs have signed a House of Commons motion voicing their disapproval of the health secretary being handed the power to override the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (Nice) judgment on how much the NHS should spend on individual medicines.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/26/mps-oppose-wes-streeting-power-to-say-what-nhs-pays-for-drugs-nice

Is my headline just another tabloid attention-seeking scare?

Only partly.

The UK government (Streeting) negotiates overall pharmaceutical pricing schemes (like rebate deals with drug companies) that affect the whole UK market.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-2026-changes-to-the-statutory-scheme-for-branded-medicines-pricing/proposed-changes-to-headline-payment-percentage-and-approach-to-consultations-of-the-statutory-scheme-to-control-the-cost-of-branded-health-service-me?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Drug companies typically set a UK-wide list price, even if each nation decides whether to use the drug.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/how-are-medicines-prices-set-in-the-uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

So, the UK health secretary wouldn’t directly determine drug prices or approvals for Scotland but would indirectly. UK-wide deals and market pricing can still shape what Scotland ends up paying.

Will the 37 Scottish Labour MPs stand up for us? Who? What? Where?