Laboratory Medicine must be central to delivering the NHS 10-year plan, says LabMed

The Association for Laboratory Medicine (LabMed) has welcomed the publication of Fit for the Future, the 10-year health plan for England, recognising it as an important opportunity not just to recover, but to redesign the future of healthcare. 

Responding to the plan, LabMed President Ian Godber said:

“If we are serious about being fit for the future, about prevention, about Neighbourhood Health, about making technology and data work for patients - we must put laboratory medicine at the heart of the transformation. LabMed fully supports the ambition for local innovation, faster decision-making, and more integrated care. But none of that will be safe or effective without the diagnostic infrastructure that underpins modern healthcare.” 

LabMed’s submission to the consultation on the plan advocated to:

  • Embed laboratory medicine in new patient pathways to ensure diagnostic safety and equity of access
  • Expand point-of-care testing (POCT) with robust governance led by laboratory professionals
  • Strengthen digital infrastructure to enable data connectivity, AI-supported diagnostics, and equitable patient access to test results
  • Recognise the leadership role of clinical scientists and extend their prescribing powers to help tackle workforce gaps and backlogs
  • Develop a skilled, digitally literate laboratory workforce ready to deliver the future of diagnostics

 “Diagnostics underpin around 80% of clinical decisions. That means laboratory medicine is not just part of the NHS’s future it is the foundation of it. The plan’s five big bets for innovation, from genomics to AI, rely on the scientific leadership our profession provides. This must be matched with long-term investment and national coordination.” 

LabMed also highlighted the need for: 

  • Standardisation and interoperability across digital laboratory systems to achieve the ambitions for the NHS App and Health Companion
  • Patient-facing diagnostic tools and empowering patients with better information
  • Expansion of community-based phlebotomy and sample logistics to support care outside hospitals
  • Sustainable investment needed to expand diagnostic services in line with future demand, enable innovation, and fund the preventative diagnostics critical to delivering Neighbourhood Health

LabMed recognises that the NHS 10-year plan applies to England. Across the devolved nations in the UK, different health systems are pursuing similarly ambitious reform. LabMed welcomes this alignment of priorities and remains committed to supporting diagnostic excellence across all nations. 

As the NHS moves into a new era of community-based, digitally enabled, and prevention-driven care, Laboratory Medicine must not be overlooked. LabMed calls on NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, and Trusts to ensure diagnostic services are fully resourced, embedded in system planning, and led by professionals with the expertise to deliver the future safely and effectively. 

Notes to editors: 

  • The Association for Laboratory Medicine (LabMed) is the professional body representing the UK’s laboratory medicine workforce. It supports excellence in diagnostics, education, innovation and leadership across pathology and clinical science.
  • LabMed’s full consultation response and 5-year strategy are available at www.labmed.org.uk.
  • For media enquiries or interview requests, please contact:

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