Stop the Saatchi Bill

Driven by an extraordinary two-year PR campaign on social media and a supportive newspaper partner, this all started as Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill, metamorphosed through several versions, and was resurrected under a new name by Chris Heaton-Harris, before finally clearing its last hurdle in the Lords this week to become the Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act. Pretty much the only thing they share is the word 'Innovation' in the title.

One day, it may be possible for politicians to ask the people who actually work in the medical field: what are the problems you face, and how can we help you overcome them?

One day, politicians may actually listen to the answers they receive, and thus try to tackle genuine problems rather than imagined ones.

One day, politicians, medics, researchers, lawyers, patient groups, charities, and the public, may work together to overcome the barriers to the development and provision of new treatments.

But it is not this day.

Read more: Not this day

Monthly Archives: December 2014

Without A Parachute

Reblogged with permission from Without A Parachute by David Hills In which Saatchi Bill rhetoric takes a bit of a nose dive In a piece on Sputnik News today, the Saatchi Bill’s campaign director — Dominic Nutt — responds to criticism of the bill by The Lancet, which follows on from previous criticism by more than 100 oncologists. Actually, he doesn’t respond…