NHS hospitals will be able to use innovative, personalised
medicines for unique cancers and diseases, following the
introduction of the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill today
(Thursday 13 February).
The bill will also:
- increase the range of professions able to prescribe
medicines in low-risk circumstances, reducing unnecessary GP
appointments
- introduce new regulations on medical devices, such as
pacemakers, breast implants and ultrasound imagers, to ensure
patient safety
The new bill means hospitals can use patient tissue and DNA
samples to tailor treatments to individual patients when
other medicines have failed, or to develop drugs that have a
shelf-life of minutes and would otherwise be unavailable to
them. This has the potential to streamline access to
treatments for patients with rare cancers and brain tumours.
The bill also allows the sector to increase the range of
professions able to prescribe medicines in low-risk
circumstances, as midwives and paramedics do now with pain
relief and physiotherapists with anti-inflammatories. This
means the NHS can make the best use of its highly skilled
workforce, saving patients’ time and reducing unnecessary GP
appointments.
There will be safeguards and limits on what medications are
eligible. The government will work with the NHS and
stakeholders to determine what medicines could be eligible
and in what circumstances.
The bill will also allow the government to ensure medical
devices are subject to the highest standards of regulation,
further boosting patient safety and ensuring the UK leads the
way in developing pioneering health technology. With a
faster, more flexible system in place, regulators will be
able to respond to changes in technology or patient safety
concerns as soon as possible.
Companies will need to register medical devices with the
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA),
ensuring suppliers follow strict safety checks and enabling
tough enforcement action if something goes wrong.
The Health and Social Care Secretary will be given the power
to disclose specific information about devices to members of
the public and the healthcare system, subject to appropriate
safeguards, when there are serious patient safety concerns.
Health Minister said:
I am determined to help everyone who uses our world-leading
NHS to access pioneering, cutting-edge treatments as soon
as possible.
The new bill will give our most treasured institution
further freedom to innovate to improve the lives of
countless people and protect patient safety to the highest
standards.
It will slash red tape, support uptake of treatments for
people with rare diseases and empower those in the NHS who
know what’s best for their patients to deliver the best
quality care.
