Consultation now open on how to enhance clinical trials in WA
The FHRI Fund (through the Department of Health), supported by the WA Health Translation Network (external link) and MTPConnect WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub (external link), is conducting a consultation to inform FHRI Fund Advisory Council recommendations to the Minister for Health regarding Programs and Initiatives to advance clinical trials in WA.
The purpose of the consultation is to identify actions that may enhance clinical trial capacity and expertise, improving the quality of clinical trials in WA and making the State more competitive for grant funding and attractive to commercial sponsors.
A survey to support this consultation is now open.
If you are a consumer who has experience relevant to clinical trials, you can share your views in a consumer-specific survey (external link).
For other people or organisations with clinical trials experience and knowledge, please complete the survey located here (external link).
The World Health Organization defines a clinical trial as “a type of research that studies new tests and treatments and evaluates their effects on human health outcomes. People volunteer to take part in clinical trials to test medical interventions including drugs, cells and other biological products, surgical procedures, radiological procedures, devices, behavioural treatments and preventive care.”
Clinical trials provide health benefits directly to the trial participants, generate the evidence required to make new treatments available to everyone who needs them, promote health care efficiency and effectiveness, help to attract and retain the best clinicians, and contribute to the economy.
The Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund Act 2012 (the Act) provides that the Governance Framework will include a requirement for the development of a Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund Strategy and FHRI Fund Priority Goals and that these must be tabled in Parliament and published online.
The Governance Framework describes the Strategy, Priority Goals and Programs and Initiatives as follows:
The Strategy provides a high-level vision and goals for research and innovation in WA and forms the basis from which the Priority Goals are derived. The Advisory Council for the FHRI Fund leads development of the Strategy and the extensive consultations that inform this process. The Advisory Council recommends the Strategy to the Minister for Medical Research for approval.
A Priority Goal is an approach, need or opportunity that has been determined to be critical to achieving the vision of the Strategy that is in place at the time and that aligns with the purpose of the FHRI Fund, as described in the object of the Act. The Priorities are prepared by the Advisory Council and subsequently provided to the Minister for Medical Research for approval.
A Program or Initiative is a mechanism through which funding is directed to a specific purpose and that contributes to achieving one or more Priority Goal. Programs and Initiatives are approved by the Minister for Medical Research based on a proposal by the Director General of the Department of Health. However, the Act provides that the Minister for Medical Research must seek a recommendation from the Advisory Council and consider the recommendation subsequently received before making, or applying FHRI Account moneys to, Programs and Initiatives in the financial year.