News blog

UK health reforms bring research promise

Britain’s health minister will have a new duty to promote research under the latest revisions to the government’s plans to reform the country’s National Health Service (NHS).

Public disquiet over aspects of the government’s reform plans, mainly around the role of private providers, has forced the coalition government back to the drawing board in recent weeks. Now health secretary Andrew Lansley has unveiled a series of changes following a report from the NHS Future Forum, an independent group set up to comment on the plans.

Researchers and charities have welcomed the moves on research, which follow warnings that the UK has become perceived as a country unfriendly to clinical trials.

As well as tasking Lansley and his successors with promoting research there will be a duty for the commissioning groups that will pay for health services to “promote research and innovation and the use of research evidence”. Treatment costs for patients taking part in research may also be met via the normal arrangements for commissioning patient care, rather than coming out of research budgets.

John Bell, president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said in a statement, “This is a hugely significant step towards creating an NHS that is a responsive and willing home for research and innovation. These measures will ensure a duty to support research at all levels of the NHS and provide a clear sign that government has listened to the concerns of the medical science community and reaffirmed its commitment to health research.”

The academy was commissioned by the previous government to review medical research in the UK. Its report identified a number of weaknesses, several centred on NHS culture (see: UK health research to be rehabilitated).

Michael Rawlins, the chair of the academy working group behind that report, also welcomed the government move. “The government should be applauded for the steps it is taking in the bill to support medical research in the NHS. The changes will complement steps to streamline regulation, including the creation of a new Health Research Regulatory Agency,” he said.

Comments

  1. Report this comment

    zirtec said:

    this blog is provide a health related information.

  2. Report this comment

    Samiksha Tondon said:

    I have been looking for information on this very topic and I am pleased to say that I found this blog to be concise and to the point. I appreciate that very much.

  3. Report this comment

    walter said:

    Interesting ! this is a wonderful article, what I am searching for.

Comments are closed.