MDA (UK Medical Devices Agency) role in Anglo-French partnership?:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK and French health ministries are to set up a working group to collaborate on issues of common interest in the planning, delivery and performance of healthcare services, including the effective use of new technologies, quality-assurance and cost-effectiveness. It is yet to be seen to what extent the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) and French healthcare products safety agency AFSSAPS will be involved. Among the issues discussed by French health minister Bernard Kouchner and UK counterpart Alan Milburn, during a first meeting on February 26, were the role of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI), patient choice and cross-border treatment. The group is due to be set up "within the next few months", a Department of Health spokesperson told Clinica. NICE is unlikely to be involved, said the DoH.