Stephen J. Ubl, president and CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), released the following statement hailing a new report outlining recommendations to ensure better care and access to innovative medical technology for patients in the United Kingdom's (UK) National Health Service (NHS):

"We appreciate the commitment to innovation and patient access reflected in the report's recommendations and as we move forward we will continue to work with our UK partners to find ways to address these important issues.

"AdvaMed appreciates the comprehensive hard work and review that went into this report. We are pleased it makes specific suggestions and highlights mechanisms to recognize and reward innovative technology within the UK health care system and address patient needs. This is important in terms of both patient care and future innovation in medical devices."

Additional background on the report:

Released June 30, the NHS Next Stage Review Final Report contains a number of recommendations to help ensure better access and better care for NHS patients. The report, spearheaded by noted surgeon and Parliamentary Under Secretary of Health Lord Darzi, was designed to study and propose improvements for NHS patient care. The report candidly addresses a number of concerns regarding the rate of technology adoption within the UK health care system and makes a number of specific recommendations to improve the situation including:

*Assurances for the adoption of clinically and cost-effective innovation;
*Simplified procedures to move medical devices from development to wider use;
*Development of ways to benchmark and monitor technology acceptance;
*Commitment that all patients will receive clinician-recommended treatments that are approved by the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and
*Creation of new partnerships between the NHS, universities and industry.

Further information about the Darzi Report is accessible at http://www.ournhs.nhs.uk/.

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