Volume 1

The use of new medical technologies within the NHS : fifth report of session 2004-05 / House of Commons, Health Committee.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Health Committee.
Date:
2005
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: The use of new medical technologies within the NHS : fifth report of session 2004-05 / House of Commons, Health Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in production, appropriately signed off in terms of the quality assurance standards related to the EU Directive and so on, that device can then be evaluated - and evaluated once, not evaluated 246 times or whatever the number happens to be at the available centres.” 50. In its memorandum, however the ABHI stated that there were a number of threats to the successful implementation of the HITF report that could prevent fair and appropriate access to treatments and technologies for patients. The two identified threats were: e Unclear accountability for each output’s implementation; e and an NHS preference for short-term savings to be made, at the expense of long-term advantages for patients. 51. We welcome the initiatives in regard to a relocated and revised DES. However, Professor Sir James Underwood, of the Royal College of Pathologists, suggested that there should be a single regulatory framework for all diagnostic tests, whether Point-of-Care Testing or laboratory based.” There is also a need for a system of reporting with regard to the utility and limitations of telehealthcare systems or other devices that are ‘near to patient’. It is clear that this will not be the responsibility of the reshaped DES, and there is currently no national ‘clearing house, where this information might be lodged. This may well be a function for the Healthcare Commission. 52. The Government’s report on the reconfiguration of Arm’s Length Bodies® announced that the Department was combining the work of the NHS Modernisation Agency, the NHS Leadership Centre and the NHS University into a single NHS Institute for Learning, Skills and Innovation (NILSI). The NILSI will promote excellence and innovation across the health and social care system and enhance service delivery in the NHS. The Department further informed us that the Institute would assume a leadership role in the implementation and delivery of change in the NHS and manage the new Innovation Centre.” 53. Dr Felicity Harvey told us that the NILSI would be “a strategic oversight for training and development of staff.””? However, she continued by informing us that the HITF had not had sufficient time to get “to really get to the bottom of” the whole area of training and development. The MHRA are already looking at the development of a medical device driving licence that looks at modules of training that people require for individual devices. This is shortly to be piloted in conjunction with the Royal Colleges. Dr Harvey also informed us that industry provides a “huge amount of training for clinicians around the use of devices”.’”’ With the preponderance of different models of devices it is important for patient safety that users of the equipment are trained on all of the devices. She told us that 5 Q 64 SEV 6 £4032 68 “Reconfiguring the Department of Health’s Arm’s Length Bodies”, Department of Health, July 2004 89 Ev 34 9°Q 74 ™Q74