Following the publication of the Government’s long-awaited 10 Year Plan for the future of the National Health Service, professional and industry bodies have been responding.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched the 10 Year Plan on 3 July, with the creation of around 200 ‘neighbourhood health centres’ making the headlines. But the plan has been criticised as it was published without a planned chapter on how its proposed changes will be delivered, and little other detail on staffing – with a new workforce plan for the health service expected to be announced later this year.
Now, the IBMS, RCPath and BIVDA have all issues responses to the plan.
IBMS
In a response statement on its website, the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) commented: “Prevention will be at the heart of delivering the Plan’s ambitions for a more sustainable NHS. Pathology services play a vital role in this by enabling earlier detection, equitable access to screening, and timely diagnosis. Expanding diagnostic services through community-based initiatives and home testing solutions for chronic conditions will take the end-to-end pathway closer to the patient, ensuring that underserved and underrepresented communities can access high-quality diagnostics while maintaining consistency across the diagnostic phases.
“This shift of diagnostics closer to patients through “Neighbourhood Health Services” must be underpinned by a clear focus on quality, regulation and safety. Biomedical scientists play a central role in ensuring that services meet the highest standards across all phases of the diagnostic pathway. This will be essential as care expands beyond traditional hospital settings.”
The IBMS statement continued: “The success of the Plan will also rely on the continued development of training pathways and professional education. Investment in the future biomedical science workforce will ensure that staff are equipped to deliver safe, effective and equitable diagnostic services as demands grow and technologies evolve.”
David Wells, Chief Executive of the Institute of Biomedical Science, said: “Biomedical scientists are central to the success of this Plan. As diagnostic services expand into communities and embrace new technologies, it is vital that they are delivered by a well-trained, regulated and empowered workforce. We look forward to working with partners across health and care to ensure that these ambitions translate into safe, effective and equitable services for all patients.”
BIVDA
The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA), described the plan as “ambitious, systemic, and radical”, adding that the plan is clearly focused on delivering significant change, with significant opportunities for diagnostics. BIVDA’s response statement comments: “The announcement of neighbourhood health centres should see diagnostics placed closer to patients, enabling a truly one-stop service. The focus on a “genomics health service” offers an increased role for a technology the UK is a genuine world leader in. More broadly, better procurement and funding models will help resolve the perennial issue of diagnostics being assessed on the basis of cost, rather than value. The promise of value-based procurement and that “products to improve productivity will be procured once nationally and then made available through an internal marketplace” could be genuine game changers. Revisions to regulation, including some areas of mandatory funding post-NICE approval, are also welcome.
“But as always, the devil lies in the delivery. The aims and ambitions of the plan are laudable, but is the increased use of AI the panacea the plan thinks it is? Is the will and the skill to deliver these aims strong enough in the NHS? And can the NHS really shift from dysfunctional analogue to digital without stopping, at least briefly, on functional analogue? The answer is, it must. And as long as the Government provides support for our industry – by procuring our products effectively, regulating them proportionately, and creating an ecosystem where the UK is a priority market for delivery, not just development – the diagnostics industry will be a key partner in ensuring success.”
RCPath
In response to the plan, Dr Bernie Croal, President of the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) said: “Pathology services underpin healthcare from cradle to grave and will be central to delivering the three shifts in the plan. Pathologists and scientists play a vital role across all stages of patient care, including disease prevention and screening, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. Bringing vital diagnostic services closer to people's neighbourhoods has the potential to reduce delays and enable quicker clinical decision making. This will provide greater convenience and better health outcomes. The College welcomes the publication of this plan at a time when NHS services face significant pressure, with many patients still experiencing delays in diagnosis and access to treatment.”
RCPath also added in its response: “Pathology will be integral to all and the College will develop its own plan, detailing the challenges all pathology specialties face and the solutions that they can bring collectively. Pathology can enable the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan, while also supporting wider aspects of healthcare provision, both now and in the future.”