Bookmarkers beware: Bookmarks to pages other than the home page may not work after we change our server in April Editor's Choice | This Week in BMJ | Press releases BMJ No 7128 Volume 316 News Saturday 31 January 1998 UK peers warn of "genuine threat to academic medicine" A House of Lords committee has warned that there is a "genuine threat to academic medicine in the United Kingdom and therefore to health care as a whole." In a report published last week the science and technology select committee says that unless the recommendations in the Richards report on clinical academic careers are implemented the position will get worse. Many of the actions proposed, it said, were cost free, while others would require additional resources. Sir Rex Richards chaired an independent task force commissioned by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals to look at the disincentives to a career in academic medicine. The task force made 35 recommendations, including a range of mechanisms to protect time for research; to mitigate the disadvantages of academic medicine compared with purely clinical practice; and to improve coordinated management in university hospitals and medical schools. The task force confirmed many of the fears expressed in the select committee's report, Medical Research and the NHS Reforms,in 1995. Sir Rex and other representatives of academic medicine gave evidence to the Lords select committee in November 1997. The select committee drew particular attention to the recommendation that the concept of university hospital NHS trusts should be explored, together with the appointment of additional non-executive directors, nominated by the relevant university, to such trusts. The committee said that it welcomed the initiative by the NHS Executive and the Higher Education Funding Council for England to set up task forces to consider the best way to handle health services research in the next research assessment exercise. It also welcomed the fact that senior staff of the NHS executive met regularly with the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals and that the chief medical officer, Sir Kenneth Calman, chaired an academic and research subgroup, which provided a forum for the academic and research community to discuss matters of concern. Clinical Academic Careers(1997-8; HL paper 47), is available from the Stationery Office, price £4.95. Linda Beecham BMJ Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline