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

Read articles about the Bill

The following articles and blog posts have been written about the Saatchi Bill.

Many discuss the lack of evidence that the Bill is required and others warn of the possible harm it will cause to patients and research.

If you think we have missed any, please let us know.

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Date Author Publication Title
09/07/2013 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog Medical Innovation and the Law of Negligence
16/10/2013 Eric Watts Health Service Journal Lord Saatchi is wrong, the law isn’t killing patients
25/02/2014 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog The Saatchi Bill – Why?
27/03/2014 Suzanne White The Leigh Day Blog The path to negligence is paved with good intentions
19/04/2014 Dr Margaret McCartney Dr Margaret McCartney’s Blog Saatchi Bill – not useful and potentially dangerous
20/04/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog The Saatchi Bill – Stifling Innovation and Harming Patients
23/04/2014 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog Opposing the Saatchi Bill
24/04/2014 Andy Lewis The Quackometer Blog The Saatchi Bill: A Quacks’ Charter
24/04/2014 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog Guest Post by Professor Michael Baum
25/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Saatchi Bill
25/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Saatchi Bill – a personal perspective
27/04/2014 Susan Bewley, Professor of complex obstetrics bmj The Saatchi gamble that law will drive creativity in medicine
27/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog ‘Experimenting’ – The Telegraph’s latest
27/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog The MDU
28/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog The Royal College of Radiologists
28/04/2014 Nigel Poole QC et al. The Times ‘Saatchi Bill’ fears
29/04/2014 Dr Margaret McCartney bmj Withdraw Saatchi’s quackery bill
29/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog The Times: Experts condemn use of untested treatments
29/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog The BMJ – and Professor Susan Bewley’s excellent response
29/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Professor Michael Baum: Some thoughts on the Saatchi Bill after 45 years of innovation in cancer research
30/04/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Professor Baum: three simple principles of clinical practice
30/04/2014 Laura Thomason The Good Thinking Society Opposing the Saatchi Bill
01/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog An overwhelming expert consensus against Saatchi Bill
02/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog BMA response to Medical Innovation Bill ‘Saatchi Bill’
02/05/2014 Andy Lewis The Quackometer Blog Fooling Nature: How the Saatchi Bill Will Harm Medical Innovation
02/05/2014 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog Responses to the Government Consultation on the Saatchi Bill
03/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog GMC response to Medical Innovation Bill – unnecessary and undesirable
10/05/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog The Saatchi Bill Campaign – So Untrue it’s Not True
10/05/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog An Inexhaustively Incomplete (But Completely Exhausting) List of Saatchi Bill Comments
12/05/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog Well Struck
14/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog BMJ – Letters to the Editor
14/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Smokescreens and spin
14/05/2014 Nigel Poole QC bmj The “Saatchi bill” is mistargeted and will put vulnerable patients at risk
14/05/2014 Darren Conway bmj The “Saatchi bill” will cause serious problems for the medical profession
14/05/2014 Les Rose bmj Reception of the “Saatchi bill”
14/05/2014 Prof Susan Bewley bmj The Saatchi gamble that law will drive creativity in medicine
15/05/2014 British Medical Association British Medical Association Concerns medical innovation bill allows ‘reckless practice’
21/05/2014 Diocese of Shrewsbury Diocese of Shrewsbury ‘Saatchi Bill’ to allow doctors to experiment on sick and dying patients opposed by Cancer Research UK
22/05/2014 David Hills The Guardian The Saatchi medical innovation bill will put patients at the mercy of quacks
27/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Saatchi Soundbites
27/05/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog Why there is no legal or medical justification for the Saatchi bill – BMJ
27/05/2014 James Raftery & Christopher Newdick bmj Why there is no legal or medical justification for the Saatchi bill
02/06/2014 Nick Ross The Telegraph Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill would be better as a Medical Compensation Bill
03/06/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog La-la-la-la (not listening)
03/06/2014 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog The Saatchi Bill – Silk Purse or Pig’s Ear?
04/06/2014 Sofia Dissenting Doc Blog The expert responses to the Saatchi Bill must not be ignored
05/06/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog No protection against quackery
05/06/2014 Hannah Osborne International Business Times Medical Innovation Bill: Lord Saatchi’s Bill ‘Arose from Grief and Puts Patients at Risk’
10/06/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog Gambling With Lives
13/06/2014 David Hills The Wandering Teacake Blog Selling the Sizzle
23/06/2014 Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Association of Personal Injury Lawyers A parliamentary briefing
25/06/2014 Action Against Medical Accidents Action Against Medical Accidents Medical Innovation Bill poses threat to patient safety and justice
26/06/2014 The Patients Association The Patients Association PA response to Saatchi bill
27/06/2014 Medical Defence Union Medical Defence Union MDU says doctors are not being sued for innovating
27/06/2104 Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Patients exposed to maverick medics under Medical Innovation Bill
27/06/2014 British Medical Association British Medical Association House of Lords Second Reading Briefing
03/07/2104 Peter Walsh, Chief Executive of AvMA Clinical Negligence Law Under Threat: The Medical Innovation Bill
04/07/2014 Saurav Dutt, Daniel Greenberg, Suzanne White, Nigel Poole QC Clinical Negligence Law To Innovate or not to Innovate: The Saatchi Bill
04/07/2014 Sense About Science Sense About Science The Medical Innovation Bill is vague and unnecessary
07/07/2014 National Accident Helpline National Accident Helpline Innovation bill could encourage ‘cowboy’ doctors
09/07/2104 Cute Injury Cute Injury Opposition to new Medical Innovation Bill grows
14/07/2014 Tracey Furminger The Clinical Negligence Team at Withy King What constitutes negligent medical treatment?
14/07/2014 Linda Millband Thompsons Solicitors LLP Medical Innovation Bill could protect negligent medical professionals
28/07/2014 Jeanette Whyman Wright Hassall The Saatchi Bill – medical innovation under the microscope
29/07/2014 Walker Smith Way Legal Walker Smith Way Legal The Medical Innovation Bill
30/07/2014 Nigel Poole QC Learned Friend Blog Case Closed
30/07/2014 Dr Nick Clements, Head of Medical Services The Medical Protection Society MPS responds to DH report on Medical Innovation Bill – the Bill is still unnecessary