NEWS
Professional bodies engaging with Change.NHS consultation
Professional membership bodies The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) and the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) have announced they are working on responses to the NHS 10 Year Plan consultation, as well as urging their members to contribute on an individual basis.
The government’s recently launched consultation calls for members of the public, as well as NHS staff and experts to share their experiences, views and ideas for fixing the NHS via the online platform,
www.change.nhs.uk, which will be live until the start of next year, as well as via the NHS App.
The IBMS said in a statement: “The
IBMS is preparing a detailed response to ensure the voice of biomedical science is integral to the future of healthcare. This is a key moment for our profession to influence strategic decisions that will impact the NHS workforce, technology, and patient outcomes over the next decade. We urge our members to join us in playing
a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare in the UK.”
On its website RCPath said it will be submitting an organisational response focussing on – prevention, community, digitalisation, cancer pathways, chronic disease pathways and waiting lists. The response will be submitted in December and will be shared with members. RCPath President Dr Bernie Croal commented: “This is our opportunity to use our collective voice to shape the next 10 years of pathology services in the NHS and we are calling on you to have your say. Focussing on both challenges and opportunities, we need to articulate what has to be put in place to support a profession facing rising demand and workforce shortages as well as the solutions we can offer though reform, innovation, technology and digitalisation.”
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Barriers still hindering UK HealthTech
For the third year in a row the challenges facing the UK’s HealthTech industry have continued to grow, the latest sector-wide study has revealed. It shows that whilst the sector continues to provide critical life- enhancing technologies and significant employment across the country, it faces persistent regulatory challenges and NHS barriers that hinder innovation.
The 2024 Pulse of the Sector survey, conducted by ABHI and CPI, paints a picture of a UK HealthTech industry at a pivotal moment. The survey findings highlight: n Regulatory uncertainties and impractical NHS tender requirements have led half of the companies surveyed to delay bringing new innovations to the UK.
n 30% of businesses have chosen not to bid on NHS tenders due to unworkable conditions.
n Rising costs in regulation, sustainability compliance, freight services, and labour have compounded these issues, creating significant pressure on the sector.
Despite these obstacles, the UK HealthTech industry
remains optimistic about its potential for growth. Over 30% of surveyed companies plan to expand their
research, development, and manufacturing investments in the UK. The industry’s strong support for the MHRA’s proposed framework for international recognition and reliance, with four times
as many companies favouring it over other government initiatives, further highlights the sector’s confidence in the UK’s role as a global leader in healthcare innovation. ABHI and CPI continue to advocate for
urgent action to remove these barriers, enabling HealthTech companies to thrive in a globally competitive market. This will allow the industry to reach its full potential, benefiting the NHS, the patients it serves and the economy. The full survey report can be read at
https://www.abhi.org.uk/media/ fvhmxqbi/2024-pulse-of-healthtech-survey. pdf.
Multi-million pound UK cancer immunotherapy project launches
A nationwide team of universities, hospitals and industry led by the Francis Crick Institute and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, have launched a new platform to understand immunotherapy response and side effects in cancer, with the National Pathology Imaging Co- operative playing a critical role. Funded by £9 million from the Medical Research Council and the Office for Life Sciences, and £12.9 million in matched funds from industry partners, this programme will involve thousands of UK patients treated with immunotherapy. The new UK-wide programme, titled MANIFEST (Multiomic Analysis of Immunotherapy Features Evidencing Success and Toxicity), has been set up to evaluate the many barriers to the success of immunotherapy. These include a lack of testable and usable biomarkers, signs that suggest to doctors whether someone
will or will not benefit from a given drug. Identifying these biomarkers could help to select patients most likely to benefit, but also reveal avenues for new treatments, like vaccines and cell therapies. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
(LTHT), through the National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC), is playing a critical role in the delivery of the MANIFEST programme. NPIC will provide national pathology infrastructure and domain expertise for the programme. As part of the MANIFEST programme, NPIC will help develop a national platform that integrates digital pathology and multiomic data. This platform will support researchers in identifying critical biomarkers, enhancing the ability to tailor immunotherapy treatments to individual cancer patients. NPIC’s advanced imaging technology will play a key role in storing and analysing multiomic data.
DECEMBER 2024
WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM
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