Despite all the advances of modern medicine, there are still cruel illnesses causing chronic pain or early death.

Scientists are forever working on cures and treatments for all of these. And cystic fibrosis is one where progress has been made in the last 10 years.

The genetic condition causes lung damage and affects about 10,400 people in the UK. Around half of them die before the age of 40.

Two drugs have been developed that improve lung health in sufferers of some varieties of the condition. But at £100,000 per patient per year they were deemed too expensive to offer on the NHS.

That is, until now. The Scottish government has struck a deal with pharmaceutical company Vertex to provide the two medicines, named Orkambi and Symkevi, at a discount.

This is great news for many people with cystic fibrosis and their families north of the border. It is potentially exciting for sufferers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland too.

It must increase the likelihood that people elsewhere in the UK who could benefit will be able to do so at some point in the future.

For the family of four-year-old Ayda Louden from Carlisle, who have been lobbying MPs for support for the treatments, it can’t come too soon.

People with cystic fibrosis in the USA, Australia and many other EU countries can already get the medication. Now those in Scotland can. It would be unjust if the rest of the UK were going to be denied it for much longer.

When the technology is out there then no-one should be needlessly suffering. The drugs company should feel a moral obligation to provide the treatments at affordable prices.

It would provide relief and happiness to many worried families.

Scotland was the first part of Britain to ban smoking in indoor public places and impose a compulsory plastic carrier bag charge. Wales and Northern Ireland soon followed their lead and eventually England got round to it.

People like Ayda’s family will be hoping that another advance begun in Scotland will soon be coming south.