Patients and carers will tell you that all that is good or bad about health research can usually be traced to its source. That place where the idea is first formed by scientists. Eureka moment it might be, they will say, but having patients and carers involved from the beginning can save embarrassment for all... Continue Reading →
N=1: Defining medicines development and use from a patient perspective
I am not sure what made me think about and look for this report: 'N=1: Why people matter in medicines.' Perhaps it was all the talk last week about the Department of Health's 11th report to parliament on the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) - in essence the way in which drug prices are set... Continue Reading →
From I Claudius to iLansley…phone apps in the new NHS
The summer break has clearly done the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, a world of good. From beating a lone path as the libertarian Claudius in the face of a centralised health service, he has resurfaced this week as the man for all seasons to launch a competition for the best ideas for... Continue Reading →
‘Scroll down’ for clinical trials
To begin with, here's more on that Pfizer story about use of mobile phone technology etc in clinical trials. It seems to have piqued an interest among many of you anyway. Also on the subject of clinical trials, I was rather perplexed by this story running out of the NHS Confederation this morning. I'm delighted... Continue Reading →
mICRA, PROSPERO, Beddington and Bell
Announcements are like buses. There are none for what seem like days and then several come all at once. My job is to make sure you get on the right one... NIHR has several announcements out today which AMRC and its members have had some involvement or interest in. The first is the launch of the new... Continue Reading →
UKCMRI Task Gets Bigger
So the UKCMRI partners were in front of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee yesterday as were representatives of the local community. Meanwhile the Science Minister, David Willetts, announced that the Government had agreed the business plan for the new centre as put forward by the Medical Research Council (MRC). A good day all... Continue Reading →
Second Reading of the Health and Social Care Bill: An open letter to MPs
Dear Member of Parliament, This afternoon the Health and Social Care Bill will recieve its Second Reading in the House of Commons. The legislation sets out a far-reaching programme for reforming the NHS and the provision of patient care. The Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and its 127 member charities believe that high quality... Continue Reading →
Getting touchy over the information revolution
Over the holidays I caught a BBC Radio 4 item about the days of the touch typist. It was one of those gems of broadcasting which looked through a narrow lens to tell the listener much about how the world has changed. It also brought back many memories of my time as a messenger at the old... Continue Reading →
Rawlins Review: Academy lays down law on health research regulation
Over the weekend Professor Colin Blakemore said he hoped the Academy of Medical Sciences would come up with radical proposals to end the regulatory mess that holds up UK health research such as clinical trials. I am not sure whether he will feel today's report by the Academy lives up to that aspiration, but I do... Continue Reading →
Regulating research – Blakemore/Deer comment pieces + AMRC background
Ahead of next week's Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) much anticipated report on medical research regulation I see The Times and Sunday Times (both paywall) have published pieces this weekend by scientist Professor Colin Blakemore and journalist Brian Deer respectively, offering different perspectives on the issue of regulation. If you are looking for further background on... Continue Reading →
More NHS patients participating in UK clinical trials than ever before
A piece of good news with which to begin the New Year. PharmaTimes is reporting that the number of patients participating in clinical trials jumped by 67% last year to over half a million (compared to over 300,000 in 2009). The new CEO of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network Co-ordinating Centre (NIHR... Continue Reading →
An evening of industry – how the pharma business model is changing
So it's 10pm and I'm busy here putting the final touches to the AMRC/INVOLVE report of the workshop we held in November which drew together patient views on health research regulation. This was at the invitation of the Academy of Medical Sciences as part of their review of regulation and governance but - and all... Continue Reading →
Nudge nudge, wink wink
This committee may be going quietly about its business but sometimes a 'nudge nudge, wink wink' can speak volumes.
When good medicine is the casualty of hype and ignorance
I have just returned from the Financial Times' offices, where I was the guest for their regular science podcast hosted by Clive Cookson and Andrew Jack (it will appear here later today). The theme of the discussion was 'Selling Sickness.' Andrew was reporting on a recent conference of the same name that took place last month in Holland. ... Continue Reading →
