Drug firms will be offered a fast-track route to get “breakthrough” medicines to NHS patients up to four years early under a new Government system to be overseen by former GSK boss Sir Andrew Witty.

The scheme, launching from April next year, will see approvals for cutting-edge treatments for conditions like cancer, dementia and diabetes dramatically sped up.

Promising drugs will receive “breakthrough” designation, unlocking a package of public sector support from clinical development help through to faster commercial deals with the NHS.

The Accelerated Access Pathway initiative is in part the Government’s answer to a long-held industry complaint that British patients get a raw deal when it comes to accessing the latest medicines.

Pharmaceutical leaders welcomed the move, including the appointment of Sir Andrew Witty – who led Britain’s biggest drugmaker GSK for nine years until April this year – as chairman of the Accelerated Access Collaborative body that will steer the system.

Dr Richard Torbett, executive director of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the commitment was “very much welcome”.

Ensuring the NHS gets rapid access to cost effective breakthrough technologies is vitally important

Sir Andrew Witty

The Government also announced £86m of funding to be directed towards helping SMEs adopt digital platforms and encourage the uptake of medical technologies.

The launch comes after a government consultation on improving access to medicines earlier this year. This also led to the introduction of the NHS’s controversial "budget impact test" enabling it to ration access to costly medicines, a measure the industry tried and failed to overturn in court.

The industry has long argued that UK patients get poor access to the latest medicines. The Government's own competitiveness indicators show that for every 100 patients in France, Spain and Germany that get access to a medicine in the first year after approval, just 18 get it in the UK.

On average British patients get lower access to leading cancer medicines than their European counterparts, according to a study by trade body the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry which was endorsed by charity Cancer Research UK.

Sir Andrew said: “The opportunity to ensure the NHS gets rapid access to cost effective breakthrough technologies is vitally important, and I’m delighted to help lead the effort to deliver this.”

Health minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said: “I want the UK to be the best place in the world to develop new drugs and medical technology – but despite the innovation happening here, our uptake in the NHS can be too slow.”