A new Government organisation will champion innovation in medical technologies and drugs by helping the NHS and industry to share information.

The NHS Life Sciences Innovation Delivery Board (LSIDB) aims to increase the uptake of cost-effective medicines and medical technologies, improve relationships between the life sciences sector and the NHS, and increase the attractiveness of the UK as a site for product development.

The Board brings together senior NHS leaders, NICE regulators and senior policy makers with industry leaders from the medtech, biotech and pharma sectors.

By building a more effective partnership between the NHS and industry, the Board hopes to help the NHS to increase its quality and productivity, while making it easier for the life sciences industry to deal with the NHS.

Mike Farrar, Chairman of the Life Sciences Innovation Delivery Board, said: "This is an exciting and important initiative for the NHS. It's hard to think of a more significant, mutually reliant relationship that is conducted under such difficult circumstances.

"The aim of this new Board is to enable the life sciences industry and the NHS to work together in collaboration for the benefit of patients. This can only be good news for all parties concerned."

 
Mike Farrar