Read the conference report summarising the event (PDF).
Background
Over 1.5 billion diagnostic tests are carried out in the NHS each year. These diagnostics, which include medical images, pathology tests and genomic tests, are crucial to the detection and diagnosis of disease and guiding subsequent treatment in a targeted way. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the diagnostics sector and the need to increase testing capacity and capability to tackle current and future health challenges. As healthcare systems transition towards a greater emphasis on prevention and early detection, diagnostics will become an increasingly important component to ensuring good health for the nation. This will require innovative approaches to both the development of new diagnostic tools, and in how we support their adoption and delivery into the healthcare system.
This event followed the Academy’s FORUM workshop on ‘Building a sustainable UK diagnostics sector’, and brought together scientists from industry and academia, experts from the wider scientific community and patients with lived experience to discuss how to build the UK’s diagnostics capacity and capability. Speakers explored successful case studies of novel emerging technologies in a variety of diagnostic modalities. The meeting finished with a panel discussing the challenges and opportunities around launching new diagnostic products into the healthcare system.
About the conference series
Supported by AstraZeneca, the meeting forms part of the Royal Society’s Transforming our future conferences in the life sciences, and the Academy of Medical Sciences’ FORUM programme. These meetings are unique, high-level events that address the scientific and technical challenges of the next decade. Each conference features cutting edge science from industry and academia and brings together leading experts from the scientific community, including regulatory, charity and funding bodies.