After two weeks away, this feels like the proverbial two minutes from time substitution that players do when coming back from injury.  Just to be sure we remember which goal we are attacking, mind.

I have a feeling that 2013 will very much be a year about how we regulate health research in the future.  More so than the last twelve months if that seems possible.  The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is consulting on its new corporate plan – details here.  Responses by 1 February 2013.

Which gives you almost a full three weeks to also prepare some thoughts about transparency and openness in clinical trials for the Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry.  Deadline is 22nd February.  I was pleased to see this is also on NIHR’s main website.

Can I confess to thinking that I wish the inquiry could have been led or perhaps better still, jointly steered with, the Health Select Committee given the important implications it has for patient care and treatment? I’m not sure the questions put before us by the Science committee quite capture that.