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BHF - Science changes will mean more heart patients benefit from research

The Prime Minister has announced that patient data will be more widely available to charities like the British Heart Foundation to help their life-saving research.

In his first keynote speech on science, David Cameron announced plans to change the NHS constitution so researchers can find patients whose care might benefit from clinical trials.

He also unveiled a new licensing system which would allow patients to receive promising new drugs for life-threatening conditions more quickly.

Professor Peter Weissberg, BHF's Medical Director, said: “A recent poll showed eight out of ten people supported the idea of providing researchers with access to their medical records, and this announcement has huge potential benefits for today’s heart patients and those in the future.

“The NHS is the best resource for researchers in the world so it’s good news that a greater amount of medical data trapped in patient records will become available to help fight heart disease.

“Provided anonymity can be safeguarded, this should be a welcome opportunity for heart patients because those involved in research can expect better outcomes than those who aren’t.”

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