Ms. Hilary Newiss FMedSci

Hilary Newiss qualified as a solicitor in 1981 and was formerly a partner and head of intellectual property at what is now the world’s largest law firm, Dentons. Her legal training followed a first degree from the University of Oxford in physiology and experimental psychology (PPP).

In 2000, Hilary retired from full time practice as a lawyer and, continuing her lifelong interest in innovation and its translation to industry and benefit to society, she has since worked with public bodies in the fields of ethics, law and scientific research. Her exceptional contribution in such roles has created a sea-change in the meaningful involvement of patients and the public in research and care.

Hilary has served on numerous committees and boards, including The Human Genetics Commission, the Animal Procedures Committee, the National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care, the Biobank Ethics and Governance Board, the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information, the Francis Crick Institute and as deputy chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Appeals Committee and the Royal Society report “Open Science.” She has consistently championed transparency, proportionality, consent and the correct use of public sector and health data.

In 2014, Hilary became Chair of National Voices, England’s coalition of health and social care charities which work together to strengthen the voice of patients, service users, carers, their families and the voluntary organisations that work for them. Describing her own motivation for getting involved, and the difference she felt her role, and the organisation, could make, Hilary explained that “a couple of experiences of using the NHS for the first time in several years” had left her “shocked at how the system did not prioritise the needs of patients, to the detriment of everyone – patients, professionals and the tax payer.”

She continued “There was no easy available route to complain or do anything about it. But I saw National Voices as a way I could influence the system and improve the service… as key to bringing about change. We can really challenge and influence the system to work in the interests of patients first. Our voices are much stronger collectively, than all working as individuals, and I firmly believe that achieving that strong co-operation in the sector is important.”

While in this role, in June 2015, Hilary was asked to be the ‘patient/user champion’ for the Accelerated Access Review, an initiative commissioned by the UK government to speed up access to innovative drugs, devices and diagnostics for NHS patients by exploring barriers to their acceptability and use.

Hilary’s expertise as an intellectual property lawyer was invaluable, as she said at the time “I know that we are a creative nation and have really good ideas. But all too often we do not translate these into practice, missing opportunities to improve our lives. This review will identify some of the reasons why this happens in the health world and aims to come up with practical and realistic solutions.”

Her commitment to ensuring that such opportunities were grounded in what matters to patients was clear, as she was determined to avoid “…recommendations that sit on the shelf or solutions in search of a problem.” She also cautioned that we should not “…lose our heads over innovation: new is not always better, and sometimes the real problems in health and care are about getting the basics right.”

Hilary thus helped the review team focus on patient wishes and benefit, ensuring that all the workstreams put health and care service users at the centre of their discussions. Her grounded approach was exemplified in the way she sought the information she needed, including her matter-of-fact requests in an article on the government’s own website, one of which read “I want to hear from you if you or a loved one have been to hospital or your GP and been driven wild by bureaucracy or waste.”

In 2020, Hilary stepped down from National Voices, but continued in several other roles, including as Vice Chair of the Health Innovation Network, the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) for south London. This is one of 15 AHSNs across England established to connect NHS and academic organisations, local authorities, the third sector and industry, to increase the spread and adoption of innovation across large populations, at pace and scale. She is also a Non-Executive Director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, an independent innovation and technology organisation committed to the advancement of cell and gene therapies, with a vision for a thriving industry delivering life-changing advanced therapies, worldwide. In both these roles she helped introduce a patient-centric approach.

A Trustee of the Natural History Museum for eight years, where she also served as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, she became Emeritus Trustee of the museum on her retirement from their board in 2023, but soon joined the board of English National Opera (ENO).

This appointment combines many of her interests and skills, as she said “I look forward to joining the ENO, which has in recent years been at the forefront of pioneering the extensive benefits of combining arts and health through its award-winning ENO Breathe programme. I look forward to playing a part in helping the ENO continue to deliver its mission to make opera for everyone.”

Given Hilary’s depth of experience in uniting sometimes unlikely partners, this seems an ideal aspiration for a dedicated opera lover, amateur pianist and singer.

In 2022, Hilary was appointed Chair of the British Science Association. On taking up this three year role, she said “I’m delighted to join the BSA, an organisation whose vision for science to be more representative of and connected to society chimes so well with my own. I am looking forward to working with the incoming Chief Executive to realise the bold 10-year objectives set out and launched last year.”

Her enthusiasm was matched by her welcome from Rt Hon Lord David Willetts, a former BSA Chair who also paid tribute to Hilary’s own skills in combining law and science, saying “I’m delighted that Hilary Newiss will be taking over as Chair of BSA. She is strongly committed to the BSA’s key role of broadening access to science beyond professional scientists.”

The Academy of Medical Sciences is equally delighted to welcome Hilary as an Honorary Fellow.