Labour announces plans for innovation watchdog to improve access to treatments
Patients could be able to access cutting-edge treatments faster under Labour’s plans to set up a watchdog to speed up innovation.
The Opposition party said its proposals for a Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) would hold regulators to account for delays in sign-off life-saving medicines and other technological advances in a move it forecast could boost economic growth.
Labour said the RIO, which Sir Keir Starmer’s outfit intends to set up if voters put the party into power at the next election, would look to tackle the NHS backlog by accelerating the approval of clinical trials to ensure patients can access the latest treatments.
Shadow science secretary Peter Kyle said: “New technology can be used to grow the economy and deliver better treatments to patients.
“Good regulation is essential to build safety and public trust, but decisions need to be made quickly.
“Whether it is regulatory backlogs or red tape in the funding system, under the Tories our businesses and innovators face dither and delay, which mean many set up shop in other countries.
“Labour’s Regulatory Innovation Office would make Britain the best place in the world to innovate by speeding up decisions and providing clear direction based on our modern industrial strategy.
“This will get the economy growing and give Britain its future back.”
Labour officials said the RIO would set and monitor targets for regulatory approval timelines, benchmarked against international comparators.
Other aims include providing strategic advice about what activity regulators should prioritise and supporting a strengthened Regulatory Horizons Council, with a new requirement for government to respond to its reports within a set time period.
Published: by Radio NewsHub