PRESS RELEASE

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, The Chartered College of Teaching and The College of Policing sign evidence declaration

Heads of UK professional bodies have today publicly signed and published an evidence Magna Carta, with a further aim to embed the declaration principles within the strategic objectives of their institutions.

The evidence declaration signing was hosted by the Alliance for Useful Evidence and Professor Jonathan Shepherd CBE, Royal College of Surgeons and Cardiff University, and chaired by Lord O'Donnell. Principal speakers included Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching, Professor Carrie MacEwen, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, of The College of Policing Board. The event focused on the sustainability of commitment to the evidence declaration and how to ensure the values proclaimed therein are built into the foundations of these national institutions.

The declaration on evidence created by Professor Shepherd and agreed upon by the Colleges reads as follows:

"Evidence of what works and what doesn’t has become, through formal trial and error across all professions and public services, a foundation of professional practice. Equally, many untested interventions can do more harm than good and are wasteful of public and private resource.

Therefore, Medical Royal Colleges, the College of Policing and the Chartered College of Teaching as leaders of our professions, declare that our institutions expect all members to take full account of evidence and evidence informed guidance in their daily decisions and advice to individuals and organisations.

Further, because potential new policies and interventions need to be tested for effectiveness and cost benefit, we also declare that our institutions expect and will support rigorous evaluation.

To these ends we undertake to ensure that these principles are reflected as appropriate in our respective values, constitutions or conditions of membership".

Professor Jonathan Shepherd CBE, Royal College of Surgeons commented: “Professional bodies are major influences on the daily practice of hundreds of thousands of professionals across the UK who are their members and fellows. Through their conditions of membership, training and continuous professional development provision, and policy making, these institutions drive evidence adoption. This evidence declaration signals commitment to building these standards on the foundations of quality assured evidence.”

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Notes to Editors

Images and interviews available on request. For more information contact Claire Russell in Nesta’s press office on 020 7438 2610/2543, [email protected]

The Declaration of Evidence will be signed by: Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Chartered College of Teaching, College of Policing, Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal College of Pathologists, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Royal College of Physicians of London, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Radiologists, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Faculty of Dental Surgery, Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine.

About The Alliance for Useful Evidence

The Alliance for Useful Evidence promotes the use of high quality evidence to inform decisions on strategy, policy and practice in the UK and beyond. We do this through advocacy, research and capacity building, and we work with partners in national and local governments and civil society to encourage debate, discussion, collaboration and innovation.

The Alliance is funded by three partners: The Big Lottery Fund, the Economic and Social Research Council, and Nesta. To join our growing network of 3000 individuals and organisations supporting the use of evidence, visit www.alliance4usefulevidence.org/join

About Nesta

Nesta is a global innovation foundation. We back new ideas to tackle the big challenges of our time, making use of our knowledge, networks, funding and skills. We work in partnership with others, including governments, businesses and charities. We are a UK charity that works all over the world, supported by a financial endowment. To find out more visit www.nesta.org.uk

Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833.