I received this link today from one of AMRC's partner organisations, National Voices. It will take you to the text of the first major speech by Andrew Lansley MP, Secretary of State for Health. Given the audience of National Voices members and panelists, LINks members and Patients Association members it understandably focuses on the patient … Continue reading Andrew Lansley Speech.
AMRC
The NHS as a global winner….and more on research collaborations
A quiet moment in the wake of the Bank Holiday allows me to do a quick post to draw you attention to two pieces of work - one completed, the other ongoing - here at AMRC. The first is a report of a seminar we held with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in … Continue reading The NHS as a global winner….and more on research collaborations
UKCMRI and other news
In Manchester at the Lowry Centre today for the NHS R&D Forum conference. I have fond memories of Manchester having spent some of my childhood growing up near Wilmslow. Indeed, it was on a hot sunny day such as this that I remember myself and umpteen other seven year olds sitting on a gym mat listening to … Continue reading UKCMRI and other news
ReSET – a final word
Welcome confirmation on the Department of Health's website today, that they will not be going ahead with the implementation of the ReSET Guidance on the attribution of NHS non-commercial Research costs, Support costs and Treatment costs. As you'll know from my blog over recent months, ReSET was causing very real concerns within the charity sector … Continue reading ReSET – a final word
Science Minister Speaks
The new Science Minister, David Willetts MP, gave his first press briefing at the Science Media Centre yesterday. His comments have been reported in a number of places including the BBC. But Mark Henderson's blog at The Times is the most detailed. The Minister seems to have handled the funding question in the only … Continue reading Science Minister Speaks
Charities and peer review
I am often asked how medical research charities ensure that the funds they raise are awarded to the best science and the best scientists. It is a condition of AMRC membership that charities must be able to demonstrate a clear process for the independent external peer review and funding of research grants as well as … Continue reading Charities and peer review
Everything has changed, nothing has changed
It was only this week it dawned on me that, in our gripping and rapidly daunting state of statelessness, I had entered a self-imposed state of purdah with my blog. For no reason at all. No more... If you are looking for some insight on what a hung parliament will mean for science then you … Continue reading Everything has changed, nothing has changed
More on clinical research regulation
I have a faint recollection from my time living in the US, that Fox News channel ran a regular item on its late evening news programme which was called 'Information Overload' - a 30 second snippet of 'news you can use' - backed by heavy rock music. I pass the following on with the same … Continue reading More on clinical research regulation
ReSET – the costs of clinical research
ReSET, otherwise known as the Department of Health's guidance on the attribution of NHS non-commercial Research costs, NHS Support Costs and Treatment Costs, was published two weeks ago. Very simply it sets out who - the NHS, Department of Health, or research funder - should pay for which component of running a research study such as … Continue reading ReSET – the costs of clinical research
Good news on medical research regulation
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, paid a visit to the Wellcome Trust this morning and announced a clutch of initiatives including: £250 million investment in 2010/11 for the new world-class medical research centre at St Pancras in London which will bring together research teams to tackle major medical challenges. The … Continue reading Good news on medical research regulation
The Budget
This being Budget day, I couldn't help but feel that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alastair Darling, must have woken this morning and felt some empathy with the dung beetle with whom he was sharing the news headlines. Those who missed this particular item on the BBC will want to know that, after months of study, the … Continue reading The Budget
Trachea transplants and charities
'..behind every headline there is not just one story but often many stories of howthe science was developed..'
A fillip for rare diseases
It has been one of those weeks! But I got a bit of a fillip with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Sir Liam Donaldson's, annual report on Tuesday. Apart from being a good read, the CMO's annual address on the state of the nation's health can give voice and momentum to an issue within the Department … Continue reading A fillip for rare diseases
Public Attitudes on Science
Friday is when I tend to pass on things of interest which have come across my desk. You might want to check out what I think is the first edition of the Wellcome Trust's Monitor of Public Attitudes. It is certainly comprehensive and looks as though there is some interesting stuff in there. The finding … Continue reading Public Attitudes on Science
Putting the 'public' in UK plc
Science politics could get mighty difficult for those of us prone to mixing up names. What with Lord Drayson as Science Minister. And Sir James Dyson advising the Conservative Party. We might need to look twice when next going to our understairs cupboard. Two of Drayson's predecessors as Science Minister - Lord Sainsbury and Lord Waldegrave - were … Continue reading Putting the 'public' in UK plc
The science base in parliament
Last night saw the annual dinner of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Research. The guest speaker was Dr Venki Ramakrishnan. Venki was awarded the the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and gave an incisive and refreshingly down-to-earth summary of the challenges and opportunities faced by UK science. The ensuing discussion was chaired expertly by … Continue reading The science base in parliament
What defines medical research charities?
It normally grates on me when someone makes passing reference to football or their favourite team in search of the common touch. So forgive me for doing the same just this once. It does serve a purpose.....of sorts. I am sure that those familiar with football punditry - and even those who are not - will have … Continue reading What defines medical research charities?
An Open Letter to Lord Mandelson
This week 'The Guardian' published an extract online of my response to Lord Mandelson's article in its pages about higher education funding. But I thought I would provide the full text here for interest. Dear Editor, The Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, presents a stout case for why universities should see tighter budgets as an opportunity for diversifying their … Continue reading An Open Letter to Lord Mandelson
Science Debate
The defining difference between national preparedness for snow in a country such as the US and one that is less so, like the UK, is this: in the States they carry snow chains in their car; in the UK we carry cat litter if we are lucky. Preparedness - and more specifically preparedness for Government - is … Continue reading Science Debate
Clinical Trials
A Happy New Year to you all. Given that we are all likely to have to suffer several months of phoney elections wars not to mention the odd leadership coup that isn't I thought it would be refreshing to start the year off with a hard, solid fact. In 2008-2009, AMRC's member charities funded 166 … Continue reading Clinical Trials
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