Monday 6 February 2012
Research to be a major focus of the NHS
Following the debate in the Lords over the past months, the Government has made some changes to the Health and Social Care Bill which puts research at the heart of the NHS.
There have been a number of positive developments as the Health and Social Care Bill has made its way through Parliament, especially with regard to medical research. Major commitments have been secured towards promoting research, which we have campaigned for as part of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC). Following pressure from the AMRC, the Government have agreed to include a strong duty in the Bill on the Secretary of State, the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups to promote research, which is a very positive development and has the potential to strengthen the position of research in the NHS.
Welcome amendments have also been proposed on education and training which is essential because to do research well, the NHS needs a well trained and supported workforce.
We strongly support the move towards prioritising research in the NHS so that we can work together to push the development of potential new treatments forward to the clinics to benefit patients as quickly as possible.
This week, the Health and Social Care Bill will be discussed again in the House of Lords, when Peers will have the opportunity to debate the changes that have been proposed so far.
Further information and links
Read our Statement on the Health and Social Care Bill as a whole.
More detail on this development can be read on Becky Purvis' blog - the AMRC's Head of Policy.
Read about the research we fund.
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