NHS has shared that it is looking to make use of more generic drugs, a move which is expected to help save the facility about 20 Million Pounds every year. But patients' groups are not very happy with the announcement and highly concerned that the plan could end up putting people with life-threatening medical conditions at an increased risk.

Ministers, on the other hand, are insisting that doctors should look to prescribe fewer expensive and branded drugs, which would ultimately end up pulling down the NHS bill, which managed to go beyond 10 Billion Pounds in 2007. The figure for 2007 was 10% of the overall budget.

Presently as well, nearly 83% of the prescription medicines are off-patent, which means that they can be manufactured and sold at a cheaper rate.

Under the plans which are currently being considered, some medical conditions and drugs could be exempted from the NHS plan.

"There are legitimate reasons to make savings in the NHS and to increase the use of generic drugs. However, the bottom line is patient safety is paramount. People's health must not be put at risk, and there is a danger that these plans could do that", said Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat Health spokesman.