The Future of Diagnostics event took place in Canary Wharf, hosted by UKHSA in partnership with One Nucleus and the Canary Wharf Group. Bringing together around 70–80 delegates from across industry, academia, the NHS, and government, the meeting focused on how the UK can strengthen its diagnostic capabilities in preparation for future health threats.
The programme opened with an overview of UKHSA’s Diagnostic Accelerator, presented by Melanie Amphlett, highlighting current initiatives to speed the development and evaluation of innovative diagnostic tools.
A panel discussion followed, chaired by Richard Vipond, Deputy Director for Diagnostics and Pathogen Characterisation at UKHSA. Panel members included Jayne Ellis (BIVDA / JEMMDx), Emily Adams (GADX, University of Oxford), along with representatives from NHS England / Leeds Teaching Hospitals, MHRA, and Roche. Together, they explored the scientific, regulatory, and operational challenges facing developers of new diagnostics — particularly in the context of pandemic preparedness.
Key themes included how to embed lessons learned from COVID-19, the need for more agile and coordinated approaches to regulation, commissioning, and procurement, and the importance of creating clearer pathways to bring innovative tests from concept to clinical use. The discussion underscored that strengthening the UK’s diagnostic ecosystem will require sustained collaboration across sectors to ensure rapid, reliable testing is available when new threats emerge.
