On Friday 24th October 2014 the House of Lords committee stage for the Medical Innovation Bill took place.
The Bill has now passed through to the report stage.
Lord Saatchi has agreed to a round table discussion prior to the reporting stage.
Watch the full debate here
→READ: The bill as amended in the committee stage on 24th October 2014
→ READ : All the documents relating to the Bill and the committee stage debate
→READ: The debate in Hansard.
The committee stage included debating amendments produced by NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh on behalf of the Government that were laid down in Lord Saatchi’s name.
The amendments offered by Sir Bruce have met considerable favour among stakeholders – some of whom were previously concerned about the old version of the Bill.
For example the General Medical Council chair, Professor Sir Peter Rubin, said: “Medicine is a risky business. There are many people alive today because of the willingness of doctors to innovate, deal with uncertainty and take reasonable risks which are understood, shared with, and consented to, by the patient in accordance with good medical practice. While we welcome the amendments to the Bill in Lord Saatchi’s name, we look forward to seeing the final version.”
→Read: Report in Telegraph featuring General Medical Council latest view.
And Cancer Research UK also made a positive statement about the new Bill. Sarah Woolnough, the charity’s Director of Policy and Information, said: “We will monitor the Bill’s progress closely and hope we will see a greater focus on innovation thanks to this Bill.”
→Read: Cancer Research UK latest blog post on the Medical Innovation Bill containing the extract above (published 7th October 2014).
Media on the debate:
READ: Telegraph: 20/10/14 – Saatchi’s Model Bill
DAILY TELEGRAPH FRONT PAGE: “Untested drugs for dying patients” #skypapers pic.twitter.com/tjf4GA4tXW — Sky News (@SkyNews) October 19, 2014
NEW Seriously-ill patients could get access to experimental drugs after Government backs Saatchi Bill. By me: http://t.co/LEpZwEYWzG — Christopher Hope (@christopherhope) October 19, 2014
Important progress for #SaatchiBill in House of Lords. Highlights why early access to medicine key in driving NHS innovation #lifesciences
Huge backing for the Saatchi Bill has helped its cause http://t.co/6U9q9v9BEa — Telegraph Politics (@TelePolitics) October 20, 2014
The above article is written by Dominic Nutt – who is part of the Saatchi Bill team.
Draft law to let doctors prescribe untested drugs for the terminally ill gets government backing http://t.co/HeHddfO8TX — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 20, 2014
‘Saatchi’ law for use of untested medicines on dying patients ‘wins Hunt’s backing’ http://t.co/ynT9SHilqo
— The Guardian (@guardian) October 20, 2014
Dying patients could be given untested drugs: New law could be passed early next year after Government gives i… http://t.co/uTzyOUW39z — Daily Mail Health (@DMAILhealth) October 20, 2014
In this morning’s Daily Briefing: why untested drugs may soon be approved for use – http://t.co/LvrIP6M5Wo
— The Week UK (@TheWeekUK) October 20, 2014
Why I was an early supporter of @SaatchiBill: ‘Pushing forward the frontiers of medical innovation’ @Telegraph leader http://t.co/ytzGZVfZFq — George Freeman MP (@Freeman_George) October 20, 2014