AAC improvements will speed up regulatory approval process

Improvements planned for the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) will hasten the clinical development and regulatory approval process for the most promising diagnostic tools, digital services and medicines, in turn getting NHS patients access to ground-breaking treatments quicker.
To implement the plans NHS England and NHS Improvement will have a new unit with Dr Sam Roberts as CEO, which plans to implement a system to identify the best new innovations and make sure the NHS is ready to make use of them; set up a single point of call for innovators working inside or outside the NHS, so they can understand the system and where to go for support; signal the needs of clinicians and patients, so innovators know which problems they need to solve; establish a globally leading testing infrastructure, so innovators can generate the evidence they need to get their products into the NHS; oversee a health innovation funding strategy that ensures public money is focused on the areas of greatest impact for the NHS and patients; support the NHS to more quickly adopt clinically and cost-effective innovations, to ensure patients get access to the best new treatments and technologies faster than ever before.
Chair of NHS England, Lord David Prior, said: “Our ambition is very clear. The NHS will be the most innovative health care system in the world with much easier access and much quicker uptake of new and innovative products. This applies to therapeutics, diagnostics, digital devices and our whole supply chain. It is a top priority for the NHS.”
Health Minister Nicola Blackwood said: “I want the NHS to be at the forefront of cutting-edge treatments and medical innovations, but often it can take too long for products to get from the bench to the bedside. The Accelerated Access Collaborative will speed up this process so patients and the NHS can be the first in the world to benefit from the most transformative technologies and treatments as part of our Long Term Plan.