The MHRA, the government agency that regulates medicines and healthcare products, is looking into the desirability of such a system, how it might work, and what sort of information people would expect to find.

The research will involve in-depth interviews and focus groups with GPs, hospital doctors, nurses and pharmacists as well as patients, carers and other members of the public.

Farooq Malik, a consultant at Opinion Leader, said: “Our experience of collating and synthesising information from audiences with varying awareness and perspectives will be crucial in delivering the set objectives.”

The MHRA contract is Opinion Leader’s second recent healthcare win. Last week, it was picked by the National Clinical Assessment Service to carry out a quantitative survey of concerns around nursing and midwifery.