Minister for Life Sciences George Freeman admitted that more must to be done to improve the uptake of innovation in the NHS.
He joined pharma leaders on a panel last week discussing how regional initiatives can forge new R&D investment, collaboration and innovation in life sciences.
Freeman said, “I don’t think anyone would say the NHS is a catalyst for health innovation. We are still not good enough at adopting innovation into industry, especially within the NHS.”
The comments come just weeks after a Cancer Research UK report warned NHS cancer services in England are at a “tipping point” after efficiency savings and recent NHS reforms.
Also speaking at the London event, which was organised by comms agency Hanover, was ABPI president and Pfizer UK’s managing director Jonathan Emms.
He noted that more work is needed to utilise all medication created in the UK, as many go through the expensive clinical process but remain unused.
Emms also called for the government’s science budget to be “sustained and ring fenced” after David Cameron reportedly referred to the life sciences sector as “a jewel in the crown”.
The discussion at the event, whose speakers also included MedCity’s Eliot Forster and the Northern Health Science Alliance’s Ian Greer, repeatedly returned to the impending Scottish referendum vote and the impact independence could have on the pharma and biopharma industry.