The Northern Ireland Executive has come under pressure to make preventative HIV drugs available on the NHS following a ruling by the High Court in England.

NHS England yesterday lost a court battle in which they argued local councils should be responsible for funding the provision of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) drug.

Mr Justice Nicholas Green said the NHS had erred in arguing it was not their responsibility.

However, the ruling does not make funding automatic and NHS England will go to the Court of Appeal.

Paula Bradley, DUP MLA and chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s health committee, has said she “certainly wouldn’t be against the introduction of PrEP in Northern Ireland”.

She made the comments to BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster in the wake of the English court ruling, but warned about the potential cost of the policy change.

Clare Bailey, South Belfast MLA and deputy leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland, went further and said the Department of Health should immediately develop a Sexual Health and STI Prevention Strategy.

Speaking yesterday, Ms Bailey said: “In England, the discussion on sexual health has moved on and has led to today’s court decision on access to PrEP.”

She continued: “In Northern Ireland, the silence is deafening. Our most recent Sexual Health Promotion Strategy expired in 2015 as it was not a priority for the previous Health Minister, despite the continued rise in HIV and other STI diagnoses.

“We now have a new Sinn Féin Health Minister and it is incumbent on her and her Department to bring forward in a wider Sexual Health and STI Prevention Strategy, of which PrEP could play an essential role in reducing HIV transmission.

“In 2014, almost two cases per week of HIV (94 in total) were diagnosed in Northern Ireland and these diagnoses remain disproportionally amongst men who have sex with men. Sinn Féin have clearly articulated their commitment to LGBT equality. The development of a Sexual Health and STI Prevention Strategy would demonstrate this commitment.”