News story

Medical innovation: doctors and patients encouraged to give views

This consultation is now closed.

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published
27 February 2014
Last updated
28 April 2014 — See all updates
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
Surgeons in operating theatre

The Department of Health is asking for views on whether doctors are being held back from using pioneering treatments because of the fear of being sued if something goes wrong. We want to know if a proposed Medical Innovation Bill will both encourage doctors to innovate in medical practice and bolster patient safeguards.

The draft bill hopes to clarify the existing law.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

We want to make sure doctors are not held back if they want to use pioneering treatments to offer a lifeline to dying patients. Innovation has always been at the heart of the NHS and is essential for improving treatments and finding new cures.

Find out more and have your say.

The consultation will run to 25 April.

Updates to this page

Published 27 February 2014
Last updated 28 April 2014 + show all updates

  1. Medical Innovation Bill consultation is now closed.

  2. Medical Innovation Bill Consultation closes at midnight on Friday 25 April.

  3. 2 weeks left to give views on the Medical Innovation Bill consultation (runs to 25 April 2014)

  4. 1 month left to give views on medical innovation bill consultation

  5. First published.