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Winter 2011
From the Chair
Upcoming events
Eurochat
Sci Comm news
New members
Event Report: NHS reform debate
Event Report: Society of Biology report launch
Event Report: Bright Club
Event Report: Christmas party
Feature: Blurring the lines
Feature: Stem cell patents
Interview: Q&As with new science correspondents
The Last Word
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Stempra newsletter
EVENT REPORT: NHS reform debate
In August, the night before MPs got stuck into of the last Commons debate on the health bill before it headed to the Lords, Stempra got together in the cosy downstairs room at The Duke pub to unpick what it might mean for science and research. We also learned a great deal about what is going on to make sure parliamentarians consider these implications.
Some of those working to make sure research is on the agenda; Catherine Luckin from the Academy of Medical Sciences, Joe Clift from the British Heart Foundation, Mia Rosenblatt from the Breast Cancer Campaign and Becky Purvis from the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) explored the issues. These include the government's pledge to create a culture of research throughout the NHS and public health service; how they plan to achieve this and the questions we still have; the opportunities to improve the regulation of health research and steps to improve education and training for all NHS staff. This involves giving them the skills to engage with research – both recruiting people to take part and taking up new innovations to improve treatments for patients.
We got into the nitty gritty of how to work with parliamentarians to get these issues debated, the role media can play in this and what we can do. A coalition of charities and organisations supporting research are working together to brief parliamentarians and keep these issues on the agenda. You can read some of their briefings here.
The next day's debate went off (as expected) without time to touch on research – much of the debate was taken up by Nadine Dorries’ amendment on abortion. But now the bill is in the Lords. The first big debate – second reading on 11 and 12 of October – gave peers the opportunity to flag their ongoing concerns with the bill. Several took their opportunity to flag the implications for science and research and you can read summaries here and here. Peers are now scrutinising the bill clause by clause and research is set to get plenty of discussion before they're through.
Things are moving quickly (far too quickly for Stempra newsletter deadlines!) but there should be an update of the latest debate of research on AMRC's policy blog here.
Becky Purvis
Association of Medical Research Charities
becky@stempra.org.uk
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