Hello all,
I wanted to share this with you in case it's helpful -- this is our organisation's position on the bill.
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Comment on the Medical Innovation Bill
In light of recent media attention on the Medical Innovation Bill, I thought it might be useful to share our position on the Bill and some of the concerns that we have. While we believe that the aims of the Bill are laudable, we have some concerns about it as written, and question whether it’s really necessary at this time.
- We do not have any evidence to suggest that there is currently a lack of clarity and certainty about the circumstances in which a doctor can safely innovate without fear of litigation.
- There are already instances of innovation with regards to prostate cancer treatment. For example, Last year, a Briton became the first man in the world to undergo a risk-reducing prostatectomy before he developed prostate cancer. This procedure is not included in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, thereby demonstrating innovative practice in the NHS. This case represents an example of patient-led innovation, as the patient was able to make an informed decision based on the knowledge of his increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
- We believe that the greatest barrier to innovation is cost. NICE generally considers treatments to be non cost effective when they are above £20,000- £30,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) It is often the case that the use of drugs which cost above that threshold are rejected for use on the NHS on the grounds of cost, limiting patient access.
For these reasons, we urge the Department of Health to consider prioritising support for clinical trials to encourage innovation in this country. Innovation in the clinical trial setting removes individual doctor litigation fears and provides safeguards for patients.