The Government is facing calls for emergency plans to protect the NHS after President Donald Trump called on US pharmaceutical companies to raise their prices abroad.

A letter sent by Trump to pharmaceutical companies, including GSK and AstraZeneca, urged  them to finance lowering their prices in the US by charging higher fees abroad.

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Sarah Olney said: ‘We must stand up to Trump's bullying tactics - now he's threatening our health. Wes Streeting should urgently convene a taskforce and put an emergency plan in place to protect the NHS and millions of patients from drug shortages and sky-high prices that could result from this. So far, we have instead rolled over and promised to review drug pricing to keep Trump happy, putting him ahead of patients.

‘People need to know that the medicines they rely on just to get through their daily lives will be there when they need them, no matter what Trump threatens next. The Government should be making plans for stockpiling as a matter of urgency.

‘This is yet another painful reminder that the Prime Minister needs to stop this trade war by speaking the only language that the President understands, strength, by showing Trump we have alternatives through an economic coalition of the willing.'

A Government spokesperson said: ‘The UK-US relationship is as strong as ever. We will continue to work closely with the US and the UK's pharmaceutical industry to understand the possible impact of any changes to drug pricing.'