The UK talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk on NHS innovation, says BIA

Data published by the BioIndustry Association (BIA) has revealed that most healthcare professionals are not aware of government-led initiatives, such as the Accelerated Access Review, aimed at improving innovation adoption across the NHS.

“The UK has been great at talking the talk on driving innovation into the NHS but now is the time to walk the walk,” stated BIA CEO, Steve Bates OBE. “This data highlights what many of us in the life sciences sector have long suspected — that great policy is meaningless without effective implementation. The forthcoming response to the Accelerated Access Review is a great opportunity for government, hot on the heels of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and in the context of the UK leaving the EU, to set out its stall on how it will work to drive innovation into the heart of our healthcare system.”

After polling NHS staff earlier this year, the BIA found that only 11% of healthcare professionals were aware of the Accelerated Access Review — aimed at speeding up patient access to innovative treatments — 46% of those surveyed had never heard of initiatives previously introduced that the government are planning to build upon, and only 20% of NHS staff were aware of the Early Access to Medicines Scheme, which was introduced in 2011.

This polling data was published by the BIA in response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s inquiry into life sciences and the industrial strategy. The BIA’s full response will be available when published by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.