We were delighted to welcome almost 150 BIVDA members, MPs and members of government agencies and the NHS, including Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Chi Onwurah MP, Neale Hanvey MP, Kelly Tolhurst MP and Stephen Powis, to our parliamentary reception on Wednesday on the Terrace of the House of Commons.
The venue was filled to capacity with people passionate about IVDs and the ability of the domestic IVD industry to solve some of the country’s most pressing health issues. The variety of innovations showcased verbally demonstrated the great strength of our industry; this was certainly felt by stakeholders eager to learn more on the day.
The event began with an introduction championing collaboration and the importance of evidence from Helen Dent, who then handed over to Maggie Throup MP, Chair of the APPG for Diagnostics, who kindly hosted the event. Maggie has long been a strong advocate for our industry in Parliament, having worked in the industry before politics.
Maggie reflected on the growth of our industry and the possibilities that IVDs afforded in meeting health challenges. Particularly, the need for pathways to be improved so that patients are able to get the correct test in a timely matter, preferably in a place of convenience. While Community Diagnostic Centres are welcome, she stated that more needed to be done to utilise them to their full potential.
Robyn Meurant from ACT-IVD spoke about strengthening our regulator, while Gonzalo Ladreda from Upfront Diagnostics, Jane Meaney of AMLo Biosciences, Adrian Wood from Veracyte, and David Budd of Genedrive were then invited to describe their innovations.
It was wonderful to hear a snapshot of the amazing innovations that BIVDA members offer, with a theme emerging through each speech: these tests, often very simple to employ and often in rapid-care settings, can collectively transform the lives of million across the country, while saving NHS money and clinicians’ time. More must be done to adopt these innovative technologies and tests into the NHS so that patients can enjoy world-beating healthcare.
At the conclusion of the speeches, members and invited guests enjoyed an extensive networking session, fueled by soft drinks and canapes on the Terrace.
We have been delighted by the positive feedback and are extremely pleased that members found this to be a highly productive and enjoyable event. We certainly hope to hold more of these events in future.
Thank you again and we hope to see you all at BIVDA’s MGM next month!
