BIVDA attended Curia’s ‘Revitalising UK Life Sciences and Diagnostics’ event on Tuesday night, which featured speakers including Public Health and Prevention Minister, Andrew Gwynne MP, NHSE’s National Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, and BIVDA Chief Executive, Helen Dent.
Minister Gwynne’s comments provided further insight into Labour’s health goals during this Parliament. Decreasing health disparities across the country and fostering a healthy, economically productive population have been priorities from day one, he stated. Shifting care from hospital into the community was also highlighted as a key target, as well as preventing ill health. The latter was underlined by the Minister’s shocking statistic: 40% of the NHS’s budget is spent on treating preventable illnesses.
Mr Gwynne commented that ‘diagnostics will play a critical and central role in the three NHS shifts’, emphasising Labour’s recognition of our industry’s importance to reforming the NHS.
There is an evident sense of urgency among the Parliamentary Labour Party to tackle the NHS’s most pressing challenges, summed up by Labour MP Dr Peter Prinsley directly asking the panel what parliamentarians can do to to improve UK health and the life sciences.
Helen was joined by Professor Dame Lyn Chitty of Great Ormond Street Hospital, Professor Sir Mike Richards, and Dr Richard Scott, Chief Executive of Genomics England, while Dr Simon Opher MP chaired the session. Frustration over the lack of innovation adoption and difficulties setting up clinical trials dominated the questions from the floor.
Helen echoed these sentiments, calling for a reduction in crippling red tape to ensure UK companies can deliver innovative tests to patients as quickly as possible. Helen also urged greater action to adopt diagnostic tests which can have an immediate impact.
We look forward to continuing our conversations with the Government, including Mr Gwynne, to help ensure their encouraging words are matched by action.
