A Vision for the Future of Diagnostics
At Curiaโs โTransforming Care, Saving Lives: Revitalising UK Life Sciences and Diagnosticsโ report launch, in partnership with Revvity, Lucy Chappell, the Chief Scientific Advisor and CEO of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) emphasised the importance of revolutionising diagnostics to create a health and care system fit for the future. In her opening remarks Chappell noted:ย
โThe word diagnosis and diagnostics are relatively new terms, dating back to around 1789 during the French Revolution,โ and prefaced her speech with a thought to the audienceย โwhat is the revolution that we are living through and should be part of to really drive diagnostics?โย ย
Building a World-Class System
Chappel began her speech by outlining the key role the HIHR plays in supporting the wider life sciences industry to support innovation and improve patient outcomes, stating:
โFrom the NIHR perspective, we are the largest funder of healthcare research in the UK. So what are we doing on this? We fund through four intertwined routes. We fund infrastructure programmes, we grow the next generation of researchers and we fund research delivery โฆ This comprehensive funding approach drives four key pillars: impact, innovation, investment, and inclusion, so when the minister asks what the NIHR is doing, itโs not enough to talk about spending; we need to show results.โ
Highlighting the NIHRโs unique approach, Chappell commented, โHaving just returned from Asia, I realised how unusual it is for a government funder to cover all these areas. Our model is admired worldwide.โ
Chappell also gave credit to the wider scientific and medical community in the UK that creates a climate for successful research and innovation, in particular highlighting the high standard of universities and a regulatory system that Chappell said shouldnโt be taken for granted.ย
Investments in Innovation through Collaborationย
A cornerstone of NIHRโs mission is its investment in health technology research. In April, the NIHR announced a ยฃ42 million funding initiative to establish 40 new health-tech research centers across the UK. In particular she highlighted the importance of the locations of the centres, saying,ย
โGo and have a look at where they are, what their areas are across the country. We know that the geographical spread for diagnostics is very different to large pharma and we really see how we want to support up and down the country.โย This was in keeping with a key theme from Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Public Health Intervention, Andrew Gwynne’s keynote speech, who pledged that tackling regional health disparities would be at the heart of Labourโs 10 year mission for the NHS.ย
A Patient-First Approachย
Chappell emphasised how the NIHR takes a patient first approach at all stages of its work. In referencing the 40 new research centres, she highlighted how the locations are specifically chosen with patients in mind. This is discussed in Curiaโs report:
โClinical research activity in hospitals is associated with reduced mortality and improved overall care quality, as well as a positive impact on staff and organisation performance. Reversing the decline in commercial clinical trials could yield ยฃ4.4 billion from life sciences companies and save the NHS ยฃ2.8 billion in pharmaceutical product costs.โ
Another aspect of the NIHRโs people first mentality comes from investing in medical technology that gives people more agency in their health. Chappell explainsย โfrom wearables to diagnostics that detect illness sooner, these innovations enable people to monitor their health more effectively.โ
Targeting Inequities in Maternity Care
Another key focus of Chappellโs speech was around the new investments in maternity care. Chappell detailed:
โIn the last few months, we have just announced our NIHR challenge funding, backed by 50 million to tackle maternity inequalities. As an obstetrician myself, I have done development, evaluation and implementation of a diagnostic in pregnancy placental growth factor, which happily is a Revvity product. I’ve seen the power firsthand of taking an effective diagnostic from bench to bedside, campus to clinic. Every week I see what a difference it makes to our pregnant womenโ.
As Revvity highlights in our report, it is crucial that there is more investment in maternal and neonatal care, with the report stating – โ Rapid genomic testing in critically ill neonates transforms rare disease diagnosis, management, and treatment by delivering results in time to change acute medical or surgical management and inform and provide answers to families.โ
Final Thought
Concluding the speech, Chappell issued an invitation to innovators and researchers: โIf I have one ask, itโs to come and work with us. NIHR should be a partnership and collaboration, and I very much want to go on that journey with you.โ
This rallying call encapsulates the main theme of the event and Curiaโs report, in particular the ways in which the life science industry and better collaborate to drive not only investment and innovation, but also better health outcomes for patients across the UK.
Please click below to watch Chappell’s full keynote speech, and subscribe to Chamber UK’s YouTube channel!
You can download Curiaโs Transforming Care, Saving Lives: Revitalising UK Life Sciences and Diagnosticsโ report below.
