Review into medical innovation and technology: further details
Details of a review into plans to give NHS patients quicker access to innovative medicines and medical technology have been announced.
The ‘Innovative Medicines and Medical Technology Review’ will improve the speed at which medical innovations such as precision medicines, digital devices, apps, diagnostics and new therapeutic technologies get to patients and their families.
The review will be led by Sir Hugh Taylor, Chair of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. He will be supported by an expert advisory group headed by Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University. The review is supported by the Wellcome Trust.
The aim of the review is to ensure that the UK is the fastest place in the world for the design, development and widespread adoption of medical innovations. This will help stimulate new investment, jobs and economic growth to support a stronger NHS.
The review’s terms of reference show how it will explore opportunities to get innovative medicines, devices and diagnostics from the lab to NHS patients as quickly and safely as possible.
It currently takes on average over a decade and can cost £1 billion to develop a new drug – from the early pre-clinical research right through to being available for patients. The review will make recommendations to accelerate this and tackle regulatory obstacles.
Sir Hugh Taylor said:
NHS patients and their families deserve the quickest access possible to cost-effective new medical innovations, so it is a real privilege to be asked to lead this important review. By looking across the whole healthcare system I hope that we will be able to identify ways in which the latest advances in medicines and technologies can get from the lab to patients as quickly and safely as possible.
This is a vital piece of work which has the potential to have a positive impact not only on the NHS and patients but also our world leading science and research base.
