DIAGNOS TICS
Calls for rapid acceleration of community diagnostics
A new report has highlighted the role of community diagnostics hubs and transformative technologies in improving outcomes, reducing pressures on the acute sector and tackling inequalities.
New research details the extent of health and social inequalities in the UK, alongside the unprecedented challenges the National Health Service (NHS) faces in delivering care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The findings highlight the need for the rapid development of Community Diagnostic Hubs (CDHs), previously proposed by the Richards Report, Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal,1
as a vital solution for tackling healthcare inequalities and alleviating pressures on the current healthcare system. A new report, Reducing Healthcare Inequality and Enhancing the NHS,2
by
researchers from Imperial College London, working independently via Imperial Consultants, in partnership with health technology company Philips UK, indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised existing healthcare inequalities and that the virus may disproportionally
affect people living in the most deprived areas of the UK. The report suggests recommendations for embracing new approaches to help address these disparities. Commissioned to develop a clear evidence base on healthcare inequalities across the UK, the new report also outlines the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s health system. Findings emphasise the effects of COVID-19 on health service capacity, and suggests if change is not supported the subsequent impact on the ability of the NHS to diagnose and treat disease will persist for many years. Even factoring in the breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccines (which will take time to fully roll out), protecting the NHS still requires rethinking patient pathways and introducing new resources. This will be essential for reducing the backlog of diagnosis and treatments that the NHS and
The creation of Community Diagnostic Hubs will tackle the issue of healthcare inequalities by embedding diagnostic capabilities deeper into the community. This will enable the ability to discover and treat health issues more rapidly, ultimately improving quality of life for people living in the UK.
FEBRUARY 2021
healthcare professionals so urgently want to clear.
Community diagnosis will be vital to protecting the NHS Findings from Imperial’s researchers underscores the pressures the NHS is facing in managing rapidly growing patient demand with finite resources. In 2019, waiting times for diagnostics, consultant-led treatment and cancer treatment were all at record high levels, even in a pre-pandemic environment. Immediate steps should therefore be taken to support the NHS in re-introducing non-COVID-19 services, while also caring for COVID-19 patients. This includes shifting diagnostic and treatment services from secondary care to settings closer to patients’ homes. Doing so will help prepare for an anticipated surge in demand for diagnostic services over the next five years, particularly as the potential for acute hospital site expansion is very limited. It is for these reasons that the proposal for rapid development of Community Diagnostic Hubs is a welcome step forward in accelerating pathways in areas of highest deprivation. The creation of CDHs will tackle the issue of healthcare inequalities by embedding diagnostic capabilities deeper into the community. This will enable the ability to discover and treat health issues more rapidly, ultimately improving quality of life for people living in the UK. CDHs will also enable illnesses to be treated in a non-COVID-19
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