BIVDA is leading a Task and Finish Group under the NHS England Diagnostics Advisory Group programme which aims to test the hypothesis that the current NHS pathology Managed Equipment Service contracts restrict the procurement and adoption of new and innovative technologies in IVD markets.
Currently, smaller companies and less established products struggle to gain market access through these contracts. The NHS is restricted in what it can procure in response to the changing needs of clinicians and patients and neither the NHS nor patients receive the benefits of innovative solutions.
We are collecting evidence to support this and examples of good practice where adoption has been successful with a view to making recommendations on changes to procurement and contract management.
Beth Loudon is leading this activity and is seeking examples that can be developed into short case studies. The approach will be to conduct short interviews to gather information on what happened, what were the barriers, if adoption of an innovation has been more successful outside of an MESC, what the opportunity cost to the NHS has been and also to gather any ideas or recommendations on how to address the barriers encountered.
This is specific to examples where the Managed Equipment Service contract has created a barrier for the adoption of an innovation within it. We are looking for examples from the NHS in England but examples of good practice can be from devolved nations or international.
Please contact beth.loudon@bivda.org.uk directly if you have an example and would be willing to share some details.
