How Healthy Is Medical Innovation in the NHS?

The United Kingdom's Medicines and Medical Devices Bill was a key item of healthcare legislation outlined in the Queen’s Speech in December. As well as setting out new regulations for medical devices such as pacemakers, breast implants, and ultrasound imagers, it aims to reduce general practitioner (GP) appointments by increasing the range of professions able to prescribe medicines in low-risk circumstances. It also paves the way for National Health Service (NHS) hospitals to use innovative, personalized medicines for unique cancers and diseases. Health Minister Baroness Nicola Blackwood stated her determination to “help everyone who uses our world-leading NHS to access pioneering, cutting-edge treatments as soon as possible” giving it “further freedom to innovate to improve the lives of countless people and protect patient safety to the highest standards.” One of the aims of the bill is to ensure the NHS evolves to reflect to the new wave of healthcare innovation. It’s a mantra that we have heard from successive Secretaries of State for the past two decades, as they have championed the importance of innovation of the adoption of new medical technology by the NHS. Their enthusiasm has resulted in more than 20 different reviews, reports, recommendations, and initiatives. The question, however, is how effective have all the proposed steps been in ensuring the latest techn...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Regulatory and Compliance Source Type: news