Care Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee am 11:45 am ar 30 Ionawr 2014.
Paul Burstow
Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol, Sutton and Cheam
I want briefly to raise a question and make a request. I have been working with the Teenage Cancer Trust for some time looking at some issues that arose from the tragic case of a young lady called Chloe Binner, who died from an aggressive form of cancer. She was unable to get on to clinical trials, because of age bars that were built into those trials. A lot of interesting progress has been made in this country around the question of approval of research, which is the subject of clause 111.
However, we still feel that not enough progress is being made to ensure that enough teenagers are getting into research trials. We feel that the way in which trials are designed is based on the mechanism of action rather than the chronological age of the patient to determine whether they are in or out of the trial. A change in approach would give much heart to many parents and teenagers who currently find themselves shut out of trials. It could also help to expand the number of trials taking place.
My request is therefore to ask the Minister if he will consider meeting me and the organisations to discuss how this clause and others relating to the Health Research Authority can be used to help effect an acceleration of access to these trials for teenagers.
Daniel Poulter
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health
My right hon. Friend makes a very important point. We need to have the right health research in place, particularly in important periods of transition in a child’s life. More broadly, I hope I can reassure my right hon. Friend and, of course, I will be pleased to meet him. He has a keen constituency interest in his local hospital, the Royal Marsden, and has been a great supporter of it. Of course, when it comes to children, additional safeguards may have to be put in place. However, the general spirit of the clauses is about promoting much more streamlined processes of health research for children and adults. I hope that that provides some reassurance, but I would be delighted to meet him and representatives from his constituency or whoever else he chooses to bring to the meeting.
