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Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill 2015–16: Briefing for Lords Stages

The Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill is a private member’s bill introduced by Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative MP for Daventry) and sponsored in the House of Lords by Lord Saatchi (Conservative). The Bill completed its House of Commons stages on 29 January 2016 and received its first reading in the House of Lords on 1 February 2016. It is expected to receive its second reading in the House of Lords on 26 February 2016.  

The purpose of the Bill is to promote access to innovative medical treatments by providing for the establishment of a database of innovative medical treatments, and access to that database. When it was introduced in the House of Commons, the Bill also contained two clauses concerning medical negligence which set out the steps a doctor would need to take in order to show that he or she has acted responsibly in giving innovative treatment.  These clauses were removed during report stage in the House of Commons.  These two clauses were largely the same as those contained in the Medical Innovation Bill [HL], which was introduced by Lord Saatchi in the House of Lords on 8 June 2015 and has yet to receive a second reading.