New clinical trials agreement ‘will help NHS’

A new agreement for clinical trials has been announced by the Department of Health in an effort to streamline the current system.

The partnership between the NHS, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the BioIndustry Association is intended to provide a new framework to ensure that the time taken to begin clinical trials and to make new treatments available is reduced.

Commenting on the agreement, Health Minister Andy Burnham said that patients will benefit from greater accessibility to “effective” drugs and treatment.

“The NHS will also save money by reducing bureaucracy as this single agreement can be used by all Trusts,” he remarked.

“The agreement represents a good example of government, the NHS, universities and industry working together to enhance the UK clinical research environment for the benefit of NHS patients.”

The agreement is expected to see an increase in the number of clinical trials conducted in the UK, helping to make the NHS a leading centre for research.

Meanwhile, in response to the recent State of Healthcare report, Jo Webber, deputy director of policy for the NHS Confederation, said that the NHS was making “significant improvements” in reducing waiting times and increasing survival rates in cancer and heart disease.