The medical innovation bill seeks to save lives. In fact it will endanger them | Katherine Murphy

The medical innovation bill seeks to save lives. In fact it will endanger them | Katherine Murphy This bill would remove safeguards that protect patients and entitle them to compensation and allow treatment based on anecdotal evidence

Any medical innovation that saves lives and provides better outcomes for patients has to be a good thing. But a private member’s bill which goes before the Commons on Friday and which purports to make it easier to save lives is an ill-judged, dangerous and unnecessary attempt at legislation in this area.

The basic tenet of the access to medical treatments (innovation) bill is that doctors should be able to try untested drugs and treatments on patients without the fear of medical negligence claims. This fear of litigation, it is argued, stifles innovation, although neither the bill’s author, Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris, nor his backers seem able to provide any real evidence to support this claim. Continue reading... The Guardian