Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 February 2023.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay met with researchers, charities and patients to discuss finding a cure for motor neurone disease following £50 million funding.

On the back of accelerating access to £50 million for motor neurone disease (MND) research, Health and Social Care Secretary hosts roundtable with researchers, charities and patients to speed up progress in developing treatments

The roundtable identified how leading researchers, scientists and the government can work better together to fast-track finding a cure

Everyone in England can now sign up to research into MND and other conditions via the NHS App.

People with motor neurone disease (MND) are set to benefit from improved collaboration between the government, researchers and charities, on top of accelerated access to funding, to speed up progress into developing treatments and finding a cure.

The Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay met with leading representatives from across the MND research community yesterday, including medical research charity LifeArc’s Dr Catriona Crombie, MND charities Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Association, and MND Scotland, and patients, to discuss ways to fast-track research into the disease and look at how the government and sector can work better together to benefit patients.

MND continues to have a devastating impact on the lives of people living with the condition and their families. The roundtable set out how the government will continue to work closely with the research sector, cut red tape to make accessing funding easier and boost research into new treatments.

Following the roundtable, the Health and Social Care Secretary visited the King’s College Hospital MND Care and Research Centre – which was the first in the country and is now one of 22 research centres – to meet staff, patients and charities to see first-hand how government funding for MND research has benefitted them. King’s research labs helped find the only current treatment that targets the underlying causes of neurological diseases such as MND, and is aiming to find a cure and improve quality of life for patients and their families.

The NHS App has also now been updated to make it easier for people to take part in MND and wider health research. People will be able to visit Be Part of Research through the app to view and sign up to research.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Motor neurone disease can have a devastating impact on people’s lives, and I’m working with leading researchers to accelerate research and help find a cure as soon as we can.

We have made strong progress since we pledged £50 million for MND research with new treatments being developed and promising results from clinical trials reported, but I know there is still more to do. Yesterday, I held a roundtable with experts, charities and patients to discuss how we can encourage and invest in the best research to drive more results.

By cutting red tape and building on existing investments, we are making sure funding gets to researchers as quickly as possible. I encourage people in England to sign up to research via the NHS App and join our ever-growing UK-wide register Be Part of Research.

There are many different types of research users of the NHS App can sign up to, including studies that test new treatments via interviews or surveys. A study might take place in a hospital, GP practice, or other health and social care locations in the community but some studies can also be done at home, online or by telephone.

For example, dentist and former football manager Dean Mooney, whose life has changed dramatically since his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, has appealed to others who have the disease to join him in a new brain imaging study to help the race to find new treatments. Dean has worked with the University of Exeter’s world-leading Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, led by Professor Marios Politis, that is appealing for people who have MND to get in touch, and take part in a year-long study.

Since the government cut red tape in December to speed up £50 million into MND research across the UK, immediate investment of £29.5 million was injected through specialist research centres so NHS patients could benefit from cutting-edge treatment and medicines. There are more clinical trials than ever before, delivering promising developments – such as research from NIHR’s Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre into the drug Tofersen, with findings suggesting it may slow progression of the disease for some people living with MND.

There have also been applications proposing a collaboration between researchers to establish a clinical trial in new medicines and building infrastructure to support MND research activity in laboratories. In addition, discussions are underway with the sector to develop a proposal for an additional £2 million to focus on analysing existing data on the condition to explore the underlying causes of MND and help develop breakthrough new treatments as part of the MND Collaborative Partnership involving patients, researchers, charities LifeArc, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Association and MND Scotland and government bodies MRC and NIHR, and £6 million to help move laboratory discoveries into clinical trials.

This means patients will have access to medicine trials faster and will receive the care they need as soon after treatment is discovered. These initiatives were discussed at the roundtable so that action can be taken immediately to prepare and agree the proposals so patients can benefit from world leading multidisciplinary research.

CEO of the NIHR Professor Lucy Chappell said:

We are working hard to accelerate progress in motor neurone disease research. The charities and campaigners have done so much to focus attention and government is committed to delivering resources. This roundtable is a great opportunity to bring patient groups, world-leading experts, and government research funders together. We need to work together to ensure that high quality research is funded, so breakthroughs can reach patients as quickly as possible.

MND patients have shown the value to us all of taking part in research and I am excited that we are now making it even easier for people in England to register their interest in research via the NHS App and Be Part of Research.

The remainder of the £50 million MND funding is available for researchers to access via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Medical Research Council (MRC) who are working together to ensure proposals are referred to the most appropriate scheme for consideration at the early idea stage.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 February 2023.

28 local authorities across England will receive funds to help people in drug and alcohol treatment.

• Funding will test the impact of providing additional housing support to improve recovery from addiction
• Strengthens commitment to reducing drug use, and improving treatment outcomes, as part of the government’s 10-year drug strategy

People in alcohol and drug recovery will soon have access to housing support, helping to break the cycle of addiction and improve health outcomes.

Up to £53 million will be allocated to 28 local authorities across all regions of England with the greatest need.

The funding will allow for local authorities to create new housing support schemes tailored to meet local need.

People in treatment for drug and alcohol dependence are often easier to support if their housing needs are addressed at the same time, as there is a strong link between having a stable home and improved treatment outcomes.

Examples of how the funding will be spent include specialist housing caseworkers supporting people in drug and alcohol treatment to access and maintain safe and suitable housing. Support will also look to help people create sustainable and long-term recovery by maintaining independent living.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

We’re supporting those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction by addressing the link between improved treatment outcomes and a stable home.

This £53 million funding, targeted to local authorities with the greatest need, will support the government’s ambition to reduce overall drug use to a historic 30-year low.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

Alcohol and drug dependence can have a devastating impact on the lives of people, their families and wider society. It is essential to break this cycle of addiction.

The £53 million housing support funding will play a key role in testing how housing can help break this cycle, improve recovery and help people to live happier and healthier lives.

In Manchester, specialist housing caseworkers will work out of three prevention hubs to be established across the city, providing a rapid response to housing issues that may affect people in substance misuse treatment securing or maintaining accommodation over the long term.

In Lancashire, staff from across housing, drug and alcohol and health services will receive a programme of training to develop skills in substance misuse and housing related support and to will create a joined-up system across other organisations and public services, offering an improved experience for people experiencing homelessness.

In Wigan, peer mentors with past experience of drug and alcohol treatment will provide support to people struggling to maintain independent living to sustain their accommodation and improve recovery outcomes.

These projects will also expand our evidence base on treatment and recovery, with learnings helping to inform and develop future policy, in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Director of Addictions and Inclusion, Rosanna O’Connor said:

The need for better housing and employment support for people dependent on drugs and alcohol is a core part of the current 10-Year national drugs strategy. We have known, for too long, that people in drug treatment with housing problems do less well in their recovery. What we know less about is how to address these problems. For the first time, dedicated funding is available to improve housing support.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are working closely with 28 local authorities up until 2025 to test and learn from specific approaches to housing support for this population, and Government will take the learning from these areas forward as part of its work to implement the Drugs Strategy.

This supports recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review, outlining housing support as a key strand needed to improve the effectiveness of drug prevention and treatment to help more people recover from dependence.

It will support the government’s commitment to its 10-year drug strategy, which sets out the ambition to reduce overall use towards a historic 30-year low, getting people into treatment and deterring recreational drug use.

This aspect of the wider strategy is part of a total package of £780 million to rebuild drug treatment and recovery services, including for young people and offenders, with new commissioning standards to drive transparency and consistency.

Dame Carol Black statement:

Addressing the housing-related needs of people in treatment with drug and alcohol dependence was a critical part of my Independent Review of Drugs.

I am pleased that government is working with 28 local authorities across England to test the effectiveness of housing support interventions over the next 3 years.

Learning from these areas will inform and drive forward the 10-Year Drugs Strategy, making the case for safe and supportive housing in recovery from addiction.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 February 2023.

Patients across the UK are set to benefit from access to safe, effective and innovative equipment and medical devices as part of the first ever medical technology (medtech) strategy published today.

The blueprint for boosting NHS medtech will focus on accelerating access to innovative technologies, such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines that enable patients to manage their own health at home and in their day to day lives.

It also sets out steps which need to be taken to ensure patients can access safe, effective and innovative technology through the NHS, which can help diagnose, treat and deliver care more quickly, freeing up clinician time. The NHS spends £10 billion a year on medtech including syringes, wheelchairs, cardiac pacemakers and medical imaging equipment such as X-ray machines.

Building on learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid development of medical technologies during that time such as lateral flow tests and ventilators, this strategy will ensure the right product is available at the right price and in the right place. As a result, patients will continue to have access to high-quality care, alongside improved patient safety and health outcomes.

The strategy aims to deliver value for money, using the latest data on the effectiveness of new technology to ensure prices are reasonable for the health system. It will also help build resilient supply chains and ensure the UK is prepared for future pandemics, just as demand for technology like syringes and ventilators rapidly increase during the pandemic.

Using medtech effectively will be critical in reducing waiting lists for treatment caused by the pandemic as it has the potential to speed up diagnosis and deliver new and improved ways to treat and support patients. For example, COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of fast and accurate diagnostic testing and genome sequencing to process and share results, and home lateral flow testing showed the potential for increased use of diagnostics outside of formal clinical settings, to support earlier diagnosis and free up staff time.

Minister of State for Health Will Quince said:

The UK’s innovative spirit delivered revolutionary technology during the pandemic – from COVID tests and ventilators – and we want to harness this in promoting cutting-edge medical advancements to improve patient care.

The NHS spends around £10 billion a year on medical technology and I’m looking forward to working with industry to use this as we focus on reducing hospital stays, enhancing diagnosis, preventing illness and freeing up staff time.

This new medtech strategy will help build a sustainable NHS with patients at the centre so people can continue to access the right care at the right time.

The key aims of the strategy are to:

• boost the supply of the best equipment to deliver greater resilience to health care challenges, such as pandemics, and enhance NHS performance through modernised technology which will enable faster diagnosis, treatment and ultimately discharge to free up hospital beds
• encourage ambitious, innovative research to secure the UK’s position as a global science superpower and attract vital investment for the UK economy and create jobs across the country. In 2021, there were already around 60 different research programmes supporting innovative technologies, representing over £1 billion of funding
• increase understanding and awareness of medtech by clinicians which will lead to more informed purchasing on new products and deliver better value for taxpayer money and better services for patients
• build on the Life Sciences Vision to improve collaboration between the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as an innovation partner to ensure patients can access the right products safely

The implementation plan to deliver on this strategy will be published later this year and will include a review of the £1 billion spent on appliances in primary care, new comparison tools to enable better decision making when purchasing which achieve the best results for patients, and collaboration with industry to ensure availability of key products to keep patients safe.

Dr Timothy Ferris, National Director for Transformation at NHS England said:

Medical technology has an enormous role to play in benefitting patients now and in the future.

The importance of medtech was made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the NHS moves through its recovery, it will play a key role in addressing the challenges we face.

Dr Sam Roberts of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said:

It is essential that clinicians and patients can access the most impactful and cost-effective medical technologies, while medtech companies need to be confident that they are developing products which meet the needs of patients and the NHS.

This strategy sets out a clear vision for the future. NICE is excited to be part of the delivery of this vision, working with our partners to further develop world leading processes to provide a sustainable pathway for medical technologies, from innovation to implementation.

Peter Ellingworth of the Association of British HealthTech Industries said:

ABHI welcomes the publication of the DHSC medtech strategy, and the recognition it brings to the importance of HealthTech in supporting the NHS to deliver exceptional care for people in the UK. HealthTech plays a valuable role in enabling improved outcomes through changing patient pathways as well as productivity and efficiency gains.

It is important that this strategy supports the ambition of the Life Sciences Vision to create an outstanding business environment for HealthTech companies. We look forward to working closely with the Directorate in the implementation the strategy.

This strategy follows action to cut NHS waiting times as one of the government’s top 5 priorities, backed by up to £14.1 billion of health and social care funding available for the next 2 years, on top of record funding and the publishing of a new urgent and emergency care recovery plan.