The Health Tech Alliance welcomes the Government’s long-awaited response to the Accelerated Access Review today and looks forward to working closely with the Accelerated Access Collaborative to drive through the adoption of vital medical technologies to transform patient outcomes.
Dame Barbara Hakin, the Chair of the Health Tech Alliance and former Deputy Chief Executive of NHS England said: “We welcome today’s response to the Accelerated Access Review and the announcement of an Accelerated Access Pathway as well as the creation of the Accelerated Access Collaborative. We now look forward to working with the Collaborative to drive through the uptake and adoption of vital medical technologies, devices and diagnostics which have the potential to transform patient benefits, meet the challenges of an ageing population and deliver cost-savings to the health service.
Dame Barbara added: “Medical technologies are a vital part of the future growth of the life sciences sector as the Government’s recent Life Sciences Industrial Strategy acknowledges. We now look forward to the Life Sciences Sector Deal setting out ambitious steps to ensure that the UK maintains its world-leading position for the innovation and adoption of technologies, devices and diagnostics.”
The Accelerated Access Review was chaired by Sir Hugh Taylor, and was published in October 2016, setting out a framework for transforming the way the health service interacts with innovation. The Review found that although new technologies and innovation were being produced at a high rate, there was a clear need to speed up access to innovative drugs, devices, diagnostics and digital products for NHS patients.
As part of its recommendations, the Review states that there should be clear and streamlined routes to market to ensure that products reach patients as well as a range of incentives to support the uptake of innovation.