EVENTS
The power to disrupt: leaders in point-of-care diagnostics event review
The most recent in the POCT Innovators series of one-day seminar events took place recently in Birmingham. Pathology in Practice rounds up an interesting day of learning for point-of-care professionals.
The 12th face-to-face POCT Innovators event took place early in May 2026, hosted by Tony Cambridge’s Thornhill Healthcare Events and once again brought together leaders in point-of-care diagnostics to share best practice, discuss hot topics and hear from speakers across the POCT community. Ahead of a pivotal period for
healthcare transformation, with changing roles and expanding services, the event aimed to focus on the effective provision of point-of-care testing (POCT) across the healthcare landscape, ensuring quality and governance remain at the heart of delivering optimised patient care. Alongside the day-long seminar
presentations, there was as usual a good-sized exhibition hosting the latest innovations in medical devices and diagnostic tests.
Morning session
Lucy Lehane The morning session was kicked off by Lucy Lehane, Chair of BIVDA’s NPT Working Party and also of Lehane Consulting, whose presentation was titled: ‘Diagnostics from present practice to future potential: the BIVDA perspective’. Aiming to start the day with a look at the past, present and future of near-patient testing, she first looked back at the very origins of diagnostics when all testing was done at the patient bedside and the ancient concept of the ‘four humours’, before moving on to the evolution of laboratory testing and more accurate tests. Current challenges to the provision
of successful POCT include an ageing population, many seeing old age result in fewer ‘healthy’ years of life, often with co-morbidities. Soon two thirds of the UK population will be 65 years of age or over, and the ways in which new technology and the correct motivation were considered. With diagnostic access often poor and subject to significant regional variations, Lucy drew atention to what was needed to ‘move the dial’ and offer a meaningful improvement in the situation. Moving on to the future, she
highlighted the potential offered by new technology – including wearables – in bringing innovation closer to the patient, including community healthcare provision. Personalised medicine, pre- emptive care and predictive monitoring will all result in empowered patients and improved outcomes.
Nick Swart. 40
WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM June 2026
Nick Swart The morning continued with Nick Swart presenting on ‘Health economics in
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