Statements and responses

Last updated: 7th January 2020

Browse our policy statements, consultation responses and formal comments

If you would like to find out more, please contact the communications team by emailing communications@ibms.org.

2024

Digital Cytology: A Transformative Solution for Cervical Screening in the UK

17th September 2024

The IBMS and Hologic report addresses the urgent challenges facing the UK's cervical screening programme, including workforce shortages, increasing backlogs, and the need for improved efficiency. The report is the result of an in-depth roundtable discussion at IBMS, where experts from the profession, industry, commissioners, and key stakeholders convened to address the pressing issues in cervical cancer screening.

IBMS Response to Lord Darzi's NHS Report

12th September 2024

Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS paints a stark picture of an overstretched system in need of urgent reform. As biomedical scientists, clinical scientists and medics we recognise the challenges posed by deteriorating health outcomes, rising waiting times, and inefficient resource allocation — particularly the need to rebalance care between hospitals and the community.

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Advancing Cervical Cancer Screening: Integrating Self-Sampling and Innovative Technologies for Equitable Access

3rd September 2024

In response to disparities in cervical cancer screening, we teamed up with BD and experts and stakeholders from across the profession to produce a report on self-sampling and innovative technologies - which could ensure equitable access and improve health outcomes for all women in the UK.

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IBMS Response: UK COVID-19 Inquiry Module 1

18th July 2024

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry has highlighted crucial areas for improvement in pandemic preparedness. The IBMS is committed to ensuring biomedical science is at the forefront of future strategies.

Community Diagnostics – how to get the NHS back on its feet

17th July 2024

Our joint report with Abbott - "Community Diagnostics: Scaling Point-of-Care Testing for Patient-Centred Outcomes" - provides a POCT roadmap for the new government, healthcare organisations, and primary care providers to help get the NHS back on its feet.

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Oxera report: value of biomedical scientists revealed

23rd July 2024

The IBMS is announcing the findings of an independent report showing that the presence of biomedical scientists in the bowel cancer patient pathway benefits the NHS by an estimated £115 million to £571 million per year. This amount is equivalent to the annual salaries of between 1,700 and 8,500 specialist doctors or between 3,400 and 17,000 nurses annually.

The report, commissioned from Oxera, highlights the significant contributions of biomedical scientists in the bowel cancer patient pathway, including towards patient health and efficiency of care.

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‘Time to Test’ – six key challenges facing cancer testing

9th January 2024

The IBMS and AstraZeneca have published a paper outlining how to create the capacity the NHS needs for the future of cancer testing. ‘Time to Test’ outlines the six key challenges facing cancer testing:

Time to Test - creating the capacity the NHS needs for the future of cancer testing