NEWS Review of medical innovation in NHS
The Wellcome Trust is working with the Government Office of Life Sciences to take forward a review that aims to transform the speed and efficiency that new medicines and technologies are adopted by the NHS and benefit patients. The Innovative Medicines and Medical
Technology Review was established to identify the barriers to translating medical innovation into new drugs, treatment devices and diagnostics. The Review will develop recommendations to ensure that promising medical research, such as that funded by the Wellcome Trust, quickly makes its way into hospitals and clinics where it can improve patient health. Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has
announced Sir Hugh Taylor as the chair of the Review. Sir Hugh is currently chair of Guy’s and
St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. He will be supported by an expert advisory group headed by Professor Sir John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at Oxford University. The Review has been endorsed by the three
main political parties to ensure that the findings are given the attention they merit, whatever the composition of the next Government. The Wellcome Trust will work with the review team to enable research and engagement with stakeholder communities. Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome
Trust, said: “Giving patients timely access to new medicines and medical technologies is at the heart of a successful healthcare system. However, medical innovation in the UK, much of which is funded by the Wellcome Trust, is often not realising its full potential to improve health.
This review is an important step towards ensuring that patients can benefit as quickly as possible from new discoveries, and we are glad that the Government, with strong cross party support, is continuing to take it forward.” Sir Hugh Taylor said: “NHS patients and
their families deserve the quickest access possible to cost-effective new medical innovations, so it is a real privilege to be asked to lead this important review. By looking across the whole healthcare system I hope that we will be able to identify ways in which the latest advances in medicines and technologies can get from the lab to patients as quickly and safely as possible. This is a vital piece of work which has the potential to have a positive impact not only on the NHS and patients but also our world leading science and research base.”
‘Time of year’ lottery for knee and hip surgery
The ‘time of year’ lottery faced by patients needing a knee or hip replacement on the NHS became worse in 2014, according to data from the Medical Technology Group. It suggests that timing is more critical than ever in determining how soon patients receive treatment. Between March and April last year, hip
operations fell by 13% and knee operations fell by 17% in England, implying that the financial calendar rather than patient need is still a huge factor in determining when patients are treated. There was also dramatic regional variation, with knee operations falling by 33% in London compared to just 2.5% in the Northeast. The Medical Technology Group’s report Hip and knee replacements: combating patient lotteries
revealed for the first time that the number of hip and knee replacements on the NHS in England fell dramatically from March to April almost every year from 2004 to 2013. On average, there were 498 fewer hip replacements and 641 fewer knee replacements in April than in March. The drop in March/April 2014 coincides with
the end of the financial year on 31 March, implying NHS Trusts’ financial calendars were driving patients’ access to therapy. In the public sector, organisations forecasting that they may under-spend at the end of the financial year are incentivised to spend up to their delegated limit. Therefore they conduct additional activity at the end of the financial year. Given that the average wait for a hip or knee
replacement is 15 weeks, the time of year lottery suggests that just before Christmas may be the best time to be referred, while just after Christmas may be the worst time of year. Barbara Harpham, chair of the Medical
Technology Group, said: “Getting a hip or knee replacement can dramatically change your quality of life, get you back to work and to caring for your loved ones. It also relieves the long-term costs to the NHS. But now we are seeing even more cases of the NHS scaling back these procedures depending on what time of year it is. There should be no discrepancy based on time of year and where you live. The Government should look into ensuring equal access at all times of the year.”
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APRIL 2015
THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL
13
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