The public rightly expects that the NHS will use every pound wisely, and today were taking practical action to free up funding to better spend on modern drugs and treatments.

Health officials said the NHS is spending around 545m a year on treatments which are available over the counter, though they do not expect to recoup all the funding.

The products include cough mixture and cold treatments, eye drops, laxatives and sun cream lotions.

And NHS bodies will be told not to pay for a number of specific treatments, such as omega 3 supplements, lidocaine plasters and fentanyl painkillers.

Health officials said the NHS is spending around 545m a year on treatments which are available over the counter, though they do not expect to recoup all the funding.

The consultation covers around 3,200 such prescription items.

Health officials said many of them were readily available and sold over the counter in pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations, corner shops and other retailers, often at a significantly lower price than the cost to the NHS.

Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, said: At a time when we need to find all the money we can for new, highly effective drugs we must ensure every pound is spent wisely. An honest, plain English conversation is required about what we should fund and what we should not.

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