A 'game-changing' drug in the fight against HIV can now be legally funded by the NHS

The NHS is legally able to fund a game-changing preventative HIV drug, the High Court has ruled.The National Aids Trust (NAT) won its battle on Tuesday after NHS England claimed it did not have the power to fund pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).The highly-effective anti-retroviral drug is used to stop HIV from becoming established in the event of transmission.When taken consistently, it has been shown to reduce the risk of infection in people who are at high risk by more than 90 per cent.NHS England said it was not responsible for HIV prevention earlier this year, claiming that funding PrEP would pave the way for legal challenges from proponents of other treatments and interventions that could be displaced by PrEP.But Mr Justice Green, sitting in London, ruled that NHS England has erred in deciding that it has no power or duty to commission the preventative drugs in issue.The ruling was a victory for the NAT, which said the drug was urgently needed, but will not force the NHS to immediately make it available.Ahead of the case Deborah Gold, the charitys chief executive: Local authorities do not have sole responsibility for HIV prevention in England. NHS England has a clear role in prevention. Our view, and the view of our legal advisors, is that there is nothing to prevent the NHS from commissioning PrEP should it wish to.The World Health Organisation also recommends that people deemed to be at substantial risk of HIV infection are offered PrEP.The NHS in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have not yet made a decision on the treatment.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: We asked a Navy SEAL what he ate during training, and his answer shocked us
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