The Department of Health perspective on handling uncertainties in health sciences

Abstract

Recognizing and working with uncertainty in handling risk are part of both clinical practice and the policy-making process. The Department of Health recognizes the inherent challenges that uncertainty brings and employs a wide range of research mechanisms, drawing on a diverse set of disciplines, to provide an evidence base to inform both policy creation and implementation, and clinical practice. This paper describes a variety of situations and the Government response to them, each time highlighting the use of science to reduce unknowns and to support decision-making. It highlights the need for a strong research infrastructure to support the Department's requirements, and those of the NHS, both in real time to respond to emergencies and to establish a high standard of care. However, although science provides a powerful tool to reduce uncertainty, it will not always produce definitive answers and often provides the start point for a dialogue between decision makers and researchers. This journal is © 2011 The Royal Society.