Medical Innovations Bill update #SaatchiBill

Contrary to the report in the Telegraph, which claimed that the bill was “pulled at the eleventh hour”, Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovations Bill, sponsored in the Commons by Michael Ellis, is still listed for consideration tomorrow. You can see it in the Order Paper under Future Business at No. 37.

Whilst it won’t be debated, it is theoretically possible for the bill to pass all its stages at 2.30pm tomorrow.

As the Liberal Democrats have refused to back the bill, there should be no agreed government position and so the bill should be blocked by a government whip shouting ‘object’ (they seem to block all private member’s bills which the government don’t support).

I hope that opponents of the bill will be on hand to make sure that does happen – or to shout object themselves in the event that the whip forgets.

In the interests of good science and patient safety, please ensure the Medical Innovations Bill doesn’t make any further progress and instead throw support behind Lib Dem Health Minister Norman Lamb’s sensible proposition in the Telegraph report:

‘So, faced with this level of concern, but recognising the profound importance of innovation and of saving lives, the best way to proceed is surely to appoint an eminent person examine what the barriers to innovation really are and how best to overcome them.

“I am not interested in pushing this into the long grass. It should be given priority but we must get it right. Such an examination of the issue should involve patient organisations, legal bodies, royal colleges and medical unions.’

You can read more about the Medical Innovations Bill here on my earlier blog post.