National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Baroness Masham of Ilton Excerpts

Wednesday 14th December 2011 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, our expectation is that the NHS will continue to use NICE clinical guidelines to inform local improvement activity. These guidelines are tremendously valued and very authoritative. The noble Baroness is quite right: they have the potential to make a big impact on the quality of care and to add value.

[Baroness Masham of Ilton]

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the Statement was very encouraging? Will it keep pharmaceuticals and more research here in the UK? That would be welcome.

[Earl Howe]

My Lords, part of the objective of the growth strategy is to break down some of the barriers that undoubtedly exist to pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials in this country. There have been unwelcome delays in the system and we are putting in place several measures to get rid of them, which in turn should encourage pharmaceutical companies to view the UK as the platform of choice for clinical research.