Overview

The Medical Innovation Bill aims to encourage doctors in England and Wales to adopt innovative medical treatments while ensuring responsible practice. It clarifies the legal position regarding departures from standard treatments, protecting doctors from negligence claims when acting responsibly and documenting their decisions.

Description

This bill primarily focuses on establishing a framework for responsible innovation in medical treatment. It states that it's not negligent for a doctor to deviate from standard treatments if the decision is made responsibly. Key aspects of responsible decision-making include:

• Consulting with other appropriately qualified doctors.
• Considering patient views, risks, benefits, and all relevant factors.
• Obtaining necessary legal consents.
• Complying with professional requirements for registering the treatment within a scheme to capture results (both positive and negative).
• Maintaining accountable and transparent record-keeping.

The bill clarifies that this doesn't apply to treatments for medical research or purely cosmetic purposes and that all treatments must be in the patient’s best interests. It also ensures that existing common law protections for doctors remain in effect, particularly in emergency situations.

Government Spending

The bill itself doesn't specify direct government spending figures. However, implementing the registration and data-capture scheme mentioned in the bill may require some funding, but details are not provided.

Groups Affected

• Doctors: The bill directly affects doctors in England and Wales, offering them greater legal protection when using innovative treatments responsibly, but also requiring more rigorous record-keeping and consultation.
• Patients: Patients may benefit from access to innovative treatments, but the bill also emphasizes the importance of informed consent and responsible medical practice.
• Medical Regulatory Bodies: These bodies will likely need to adapt guidelines and oversight to account for the new legal framework for innovative treatments.

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