Researcher calls for centres to review medical devices regulation

An academic has called for the creation of three centres for regulatory science by 2021 tasked with reviewing and improving regulations around medical devices.

The proposal from Ben Goldacre, director of the Evidence-Based Medicine DataLab at the University of Oxford, follows an investigation by journalists into regulatory approval processes for medical devices in the UK. The investigation, carried out by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and partner organisations, revealed that there has been a substantial increase in reports of malfunctions, injuries and deaths due to faulty medical devices.

Goldacre is calling on UK universities to set up centres for regulatory science to address and prevent such problems. He is also calling on the National Institute for Health Research to create a funding stream for this type of work.