THE NHS could save £85million next year if doctors stop insisting on brand name drugs to help patients fight cholesterol.

Some trademarked brands of statins, which lower the levels of dangerous fats in patients at risk of heart disease, can cost almost 10 times as much as "generic" tablets that do the same job.

Health service bosses in England have issued a plea to GPs to consider the cost of prescribing more expensive statins.

But today Glasgow's health service said it was already ahead in the battle to reduce unnecessary costs after persuading its doctors to use the cheaper drugs where possible.

Moves to prevent heart disease in high-risk patients has caused the number of prescriptions for statins to more than double in the last five years.

Further increases are expected and the Department of Health is concerned at the increasing cost of routine treatment that could last a lifetime.

With last year's spending on the drugs hitting £600m a saving of nearly £85m could be made if 69% of patients were given generic tablets. Some doctors believe the potential savings could rise to as much as £2billion over five years.

Glasgow's health board has been encouraging GPs to use the cheaper alternatives in recent years and today it claimed success in cutting its prescription bill.

A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "Prescribers are encouraged to use drugs which are established in terms of safety, effectiveness and cost."