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: November 2015

The Money Resolution: Part 3 – Experimental Treatment and Clinical Research

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George Freeman: I want to stress that this Bill, which has a very different structure from the original Bill introduced by Lord Saatchi, has nothing to do with research at all. A great many confident claims were made about Chris Heaton-Harris’ Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill (AMTIB) at its Money Resolution debate on 3rd November, both by Heaton-Harris himself…

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The Effect of the Saatchi Bill on the Common Law. Who is right?

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Re-blogged with permission from The Effect of the Saatchi Bill on the Common Law. Who is right? by Nigel Poole QC Will the Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill change the common law of medical negligence? It seems that the government does not believe that it would. On 29 October 2015, Dr Darren Conway, Senior Associate of Tollers Personal Injury…

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The Money Resolution: Part 2 – Changing Common Law

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Guest post by José Miola, Professor of Medical Law, University of Leicester. On several occasions during the Money Resolution Debate on Chris Heaton-Harris’ Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill (AMTIB), the claim was made that the clinical negligence aspects to the Bill would either not change current law or at least provide patients with equal protection. To this end, George…

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The Money Resolution: Part 1 – Massively the same

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The Money Resolution for Chris Heaton-Harris’s version of Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill, the Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill (AMTIB) took place on 03 November 2015. The debate can be watched here: The Hansard record of the debate can be read here, continued here. The Resolution was passed by 281 votes to 227, giving a total of 508 MPs voting,…

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Follow the money

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The Money Resolution for Chris Heaton-Harris’s version of Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill will be heard and voted on in the Commons this coming Tuesday. We need a minute of your time again. Today. Now. The Money Resolution is an essential step in the progress of any Bill that includes a proposal for new or increased public expenditure. The Bill cannot be considered…

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