NHSA comment: new medicine and technology fund will have ‘significant impact’ for patients

Responding to the Government’s announcement of a new £86m fund to speed up access to new medicine and technology by supporting businesses to develop and test innovations Professor Ian Greer, Chair of the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), Vice-President of the University of Manchester and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Science, said:

“The NHSA welcomes this initiative that will have significant impact, not only for health innovation and the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, but also on patients – delivering better care and outcomes more quickly.

“This fund is particularly welcome in the North of England where there are substantial capabilities around health innovation and clinical trials, particularly in real world evidence trials.

“We have broken down many barriers through the NHSA to deliver collaborative and integrated approaches to health innovation in the region and are already working with the North’s Academic Health Science Networks in addition to SMEs, the pharmaceutical industry, medtech companies and the Government.

“Our Connected Health Cities (CHC) programme is currently working with SMEs and health and social care providers across the North, using local health data and advanced technology, to improve health services for patients.

“This funding can help build on the CHC programme and enhance the region’s global competitiveness to benefit the whole of the UK and its patient population. At a time in which the Government is looking to rebalance the UK’s economy this is exactly the sort of initiative that is needed.”

ENDS