Making every test count: new white paper by RCPath and Roche

The Royal College of Pathologists and Roche Diagnostics have published a new joint white paper, Making every test count, exploring the role of diagnostics in supporting the delivery of the three shifts set out in the NHS 10 Year Plan for Health.

Published one year after the NHS 10 Year Plan, the paper highlights examples of how pathology and in-vitro diagnostics can support changes in the way healthcare is delivered. These include community-based point-of-care testing for flu and other respiratory viruses, self-sampling as part of cervical cancer screening, and the use of artificial intelligence in digital pathology.

The paper also highlights the importance of pathology and in-vitro diagnostics to clinical decision-making and considers the impact that delays in receiving test results can have on patients, particularly when pathology services are under pressure.

Among its recommendations, the white paper calls for more consistent approaches to digital implementation and interoperability across NHS trusts. It also argues for assessing the efficiency and longer-term savings generated across the whole diagnostic pathway, rather than focusing solely on the upfront cost of individual tests.

Another recommendation is that 10% of savings generated through reduced hospital admissions, where these are achieved through early diagnostic tools such as respiratory point-of-care testing, should be reinvested in frontline pathology staffing, infrastructure and community rollout.

The paper sets out a series of priorities and recommendations for government, NHS organisations and regulators, highlighting the contribution that effective diagnostic services can make to delivering a more sustainable NHS.

LabMed members can read the full Making every test count white paper to explore the recommendations and the role of diagnostics in supporting the future delivery of healthcare.

Access the full white paper 

Making every test count