Medicines and Medical Devices Bill

The Medicines and Medical Devices Bill was debated in parliament earlier this week. 

I’m pleased to see that the Bill will remove unnecessary bureaucracy for the lowest risk clinical trials which will encourage the rapid introduction of new medicines.  This will help save lives in Norwich.

The Bill introduces new safety measures, as well as enabling hospitals to develop and offer personalised medicines, and increasing the professions that can prescribe low-risk medicines. 

The Bill will ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of the global life sciences industry after Brexit, giving patients faster access to innovative medicines and supporting the growth of our domestic sector, as well as allowing the UK to take a lead role in global research to find cures for rare diseases and improve treatments for patients around the world.

I totally support the Government’s ambition for our country to be at the forefront as the NHS gets access to new medicines and new treatments earlier, so patients can benefit from scientific breakthroughs sooner.

We’ve had an amazing example recently in the drug Dexamethasone, the first life-saving anti-coronavirus drug – and a remarkable British scientific achievement.

The Bill will also ensure patient safety by including measures to combat counterfeit medicines as well as extending the UK’s global lead in personalised medicine and Artificial Intelligence in health.

On a related note, I welcome the Prime Minister’s September announcement of a £200 million investment programme to support the very best and most innovative life sciences companies. This is expected to leverage a further £400 million in private sector investment, ensuring the UK life sciences sector remains dynamic and robust.

Ensuring that NHS locally has the funds and support it needs is one of my key priorities and I was pleased to back this Bill in Parliament this week so that we can all benefit from advances.