Monday’s launch of the new All-party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Life Sciences showcased some of the best of UK health and life sciences innovation.
The life sciences APPG is a cross-party organisation run by and for members of Parliament. Supported by life sciences trade associations and medical charities, including BIVDA, it is designed to raise awareness of life sciences in Parliament and explore the main challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Chair of the APPG, Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP, gave a rousing address in which he marvelled at the UK’s strength in life sciences but cautioned about increasing global competition from the EU, the US and China. He noted that he has always been drawn to the life sciences in Parliament as it demonstrates the best of British and reflects our nation’s pioneering spirit. He urged companies to push their MPs, stating that if ‘you don’t ask, you don’t get’ in politics.
BIVDA hosted a stand and were joined by the Sysmex Astrego team who demonstrated their PA-100 AST System, capable of diagnosing a UTI and the most appropriate antibiotic treatment in just 45 mins. The innovation previously won the £8 million Longitude Prize on AMR. Fellow BIVDA members Oxford Nanopore Technologies also attended, highlighting their ground-breaking genomic technologies.
From government, we were able to speak with NHSE’s Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Dame Sue Hill, UKHSA Chief Executive, Dame Jenny Harries and Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation, NHSE. MPs including Pippa Heylings MP and Dr Simon Opher MP. Naturally, we took the opportunity to set out BIVDA’s advocacy to secure a better future for diagnostics companies in the UK and improve the adoption of diagnostics in the NHS.
We also took the opportunity to speak to Sir Chris Whitty, whose keynote hailed the life sciences ecosystem in the UK, turbocharged by innovators up and down the UK. He reflected on the remarkable advances in treatment across his lifetime, which have transformed patient care and saved countless lives, calling out diagnostics.
Comprising nearly 200 guests in total, the event provides the perfect springboard for successful activity delivered across the year by the APPG. We would like to thank and acknowledge our APPG partners – BIA, ABPI, AMRC, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation, Versus Arthritis and the Academy of Medical Sciences – who all combined to make this event possible.
