Professor David Webb, President of the British Pharmacological Society, said:
The series of investments announced today in the Life Sciences Sector Deal as part of the broader Industrial Strategy demonstrate the value of this vibrant sector to the UK, and it is good to see the commitment to build on UK strengths in clinical research and clinical trials. The next year will be a real opportunity to capitalise on the UK’s excellence in research and development, and the unique potential of the NHS. We welcome this direction of travel and believe that implementation in partnership across the full sector will be the key to its success.
Crucially, we need to ensure the UK has the skills it needs to deliver against this sector deal. In particular, we are facing a shortage of clinical pharmacology skills, as recognised by Sir John Bell in his report to Government. The British Pharmacological Society is well-placed to support these critical skills and we are working to align our existing activities closely with the broader skills strategy. We hope that charities, academia, industry and the NHS – working together – can implement a joined-up strategy that will deliver for patients and the UK economy alike.