Member News
By Lord Rennard - 15th November 2011
Lord Rennard highlights the timely publication of a new report which makes the case for the societal and economic benefits of medical technology.
Everyone knows that we are in tough financial times and that almost every government department is having to make difficult decisions to reduce spending. The NHS, whilst facing a flat real-terms budget, has to deliver 'more with the same'. It needs to find efficiency savings of £20bn over the next four years to meet the growing demands upon it - the so called 'Nicholson challenge'.
I am pleased today to be able to announce that the All Party Group for Patient Access to Medical Technology, of which I am myself a member and keen supporter, is launching a new report by The Work Foundation entitled Adding Value: The Economic and Societal Benefits of Medical Technology.
The publication of this report couldn’t be more timely. In the NHS there is now greater focus on outcomes and on enhancing the quality of life for people with long term conditions and helping them into work. This aligns with the focus on supporting people to stay in or return to work in the Department for Work and Pensions Work Programme, the implementation of the Fit Note, and the soon expected Sickness Absence Review.
The report looks specifically at three medical technologies: artificial hip/knee replacements, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and insulin pumps. It highlights not only the benefits that these technologies bring to patients but the even wider benefits which can come from the use of these technologies for their families, employers, the NHS and wider society.
One of the key findings from this report is that the long term benefits of medical technologies must be recognised. Medical technologies don’t only improve the physical health of patients; they can improve their quality of life and their capacity to participate in society and contribute positively to the economy. These sort of medical technologies can enable many people to undertake more gainful employment and in turn reduce the wider benefits bill.
The costs of these medical technologies must therefore be assessed against the really long term benefits to the economy and society. We need to do more to help people lead healthy lives, live more independently and be a part of our workforce where appropriate if we are to do all that we can to get ourselves out of the current economic situation.
I urge my colleagues in Parliament and whoever reads this to take into account the recommendations in this report, published later today.
Lord Rennard is a Liberal Democrat peer. He chaired the recent inquiry by the Primary Care Diabetes Society 'Keeping people with diabetes out of hospital' and the ACEVO Commission on 'The Big Society'.
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