The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee today (Thursday 15 March) calls for “all funding allocated to health research [to] be used for that purpose,” pointing out that “this has not always been the case in the past”.
In response, Professor Michael Rees, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) Medical Academic Staff Committee, says: “Funding for research in the NHS – along with education and training – is increasingly insecure. The Select Committee is right to highlight the fact that money intended to support health research often vanishes unaccounted for.
“This poses a real threat to the quality of care in the NHS. It means vital research posts being left unfilled and threatens efforts to increase numbers of medical academics – doctors who play a vital role in patient care, as well as education and research. It is essential that funding for academic medicine is ring-fenced and protected.”
