Press release: Members announced for the Committee on the Safety of Devices

Press release

Date:	07 May 2009
Time:	10:00
Subject:	Members announced for the Committee on the Safety of Devices
Contact:	Press Office 020 3080 7651 or press.office@mhra.gsi.gov.uk Out-of-hours 07770 446 189

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Appointments Commission are pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the Committee on the Safety of Devices (CSD).

Professor Matthew Cooke has been appointed as A&E Member. He is currently Professor of Emergency Medicine at Warwick Medical School and also serves as member of the Commissioning Board and the Professional Standards Committee & Research Committee at the College of Emergency Medicine. In addition, he is a Professional Advisor to the Audit Commission, Prime Ministers Delivery Unit and the Healthcare Commission.

Dr Graham Browne has been appointed as Dentistry Member and is currently a General Dental Practitioner and member of the Department of Health Foundation Training Group. He previously served as a member of the Executive Board of the British Dental Association and Chair of Education and Standards.

The CSD was established by ministers in 2001 to support the work of the MHRA and in particular, the Agency’s objectives in helping healthcare professionals to deliver high standards of care in relation to medical devices.

The CSD consists of a Chairman and 24 members, including two lay members, from a wide spectrum of clinical specialities.

The Committee is appointed for a four year term in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice and paid an attendance fee of £105.50 plus a preparation fee of £63.50 along with travel expenses.

All appointments to the CSD are made on merit with political activity playing no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if declared) to be made public.

Matthew Cooke and Graham Browne have not declared any political activity and do not hold any other ministerial appointments.

Notes to Editor

• Medical devices are any device used in clinical medicine and include those sold directly to the public, from heart pacemakers to wheelchairs, X-ray machines to home glucose monitors.
• The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem. We encourage everyone –the public and healthcare professionals as well as the industry – to tell us about any problems with a medicine or medical device, so that we can investigate and take any necessary action.
• Details of the CSD along with published minutes are available at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Committees/Devices/CommitteeontheSafetyofDevices/index.htm