National launch of Labs are Vital initiative

Labs are Vital will provide a combined approach for the Association for Clinical Biochemistry, The Royal College of Pathologists, the Association of Clinical Pathologists and the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association to promote clinical science and laboratory medicine. This comes at a time of significant change in the way healthcare is delivered across the UK.

Labs are Vital has been chosen as the major platform to use, following its huge success in the USA since its launch by Abbott in 2006. The objectives of the initiative are to highlight the value of the laboratory professional, both within the healthcare system and to the general public; address the issues that laboratories face today, from workforce changes to reimbursement strategies and laboratory utilisation; and to serve as a community in which laboratory professionals can exchange ideas and suggestions, working as a catalyst for positive change.

In launching the Labs are Vital initiative, Dr Graham Beastall, chairman of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry, commented: “As soon as I saw Labs are Vital when it was launched in the USA last year, I knew immediately that it would be of crucial importance to laboratory medicine in the UK. This will be a vital tool for promoting the contribution that laboratory medicine makes to healthcare. I anticipate that Labs are Vital will mirror LabTests Online and its great success.”