MEMBER of Parliament for the Cotswolds, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has criticised the Liberal Democrat Health Minister, Norman Lamb MP, for blocking Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill.

Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill, which would have made it easier for doctors to try new treatments on patients without the fear of being sued, was due to be introduced to the House of Commons, following the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, giving it his backing in principle last October.

Mr Clifton-Brown began a campaign in 2011, on behalf of his late constituent Les Halpin, to improve patient access to new medicines. Les Halpin died last year from Motor Neurone Disease, for which there has been no drug development for twenty years, despite a number of experimental drugs being available.

This was an active campaign with questions and debates in the House of Commons and all sorts of events in Westminster, including a recent roundtable discussion with a range of experts from the field, affected patients and the Rt Hon Earl Howe, parliamentary under-Secretary of State for Quality in the Department of Health.

Lord Saatchi introduced his Medical Innovation Bill in the House of Lords, which had similar aims.

Commenting Mr Clifton-Brown said: “Ever since my late constituent Les Halpin came to me in 2011 to ask me to campaign on his behalf for early access to medicines, I have campaigned on efforts to realise this aim. Lord Saatchi’s Medical Innovation Bill would have helped achieve this.

“It seems right that following carefully considered clinical trials, whereby terminally ill patients opt in, so that the efficacy and effectiveness of new drugs which have passed their stage two test, should be carefully evaluated by expert clinicians in the NHS. This could accelerate the development of new drugs.

“I give a pledge that despite the Liberal Democrats blocking this measure, I will do my best, should I be re-elected, to re-introduce a Private Member’s Bill along the same lines as Lord Saatchi’s bill in the next parliament. For a Liberal Democrat Minister to block this bill seems to be mean, narrow minded and above all, short sighted.”