IBMS Response to Lord Darzi's NHS Report
Outlining the Role of Biomedical Science in Addressing NHS Reforms and Improving Patient Care
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.
Addressing Deteriorating Health Through Community-Based Diagnostics
Lord Darzi’s report highlights the rising number of people living with multiple long-term conditions and the strain this places on hospitals. To address these challenges, immediate action and a strengthened diagnostic infrastructure are needed to ensure early detection, continuous monitoring, and better management of chronic diseases. A shift in focus from hospitals to community-based care is essential, and expanding the reach of diagnostics into community settings will enable earlier interventions and reduce pressure on hospitals.
We support the call for more investment in community diagnostics and point-of-care testing (POCT). Our Point of Care Testing: National Strategic Guidance for at Point of Need Testing and Community Diagnostics: Scaling Point-of-Care Testing for Patient-Centred Outcomes provide a framework for integrating POCT across the NHS. These steps will help create a more efficient system, improving accessibility for patients and delivering more timely, localised care, which is critical to managing long-term conditions and improving outcomes.
IBMS President Joanna Andrew comments:
“Our profession’s goal is to ensure that every patient receives the timely, accurate diagnosis they need for the best possible care. Lord Darzi’s report highlights the importance of investing in diagnostics and community-based services. By empowering our profession and expanding access to diagnostics, we can help deliver more personalised, patient-centred care that improves outcomes and reduces pressure on the NHS.”
Tackling Cancer Backlogs: The Urgent Need for Early Diagnosis
Cancer care continues to be an area where the UK lags behind, with diagnostic delays contributing to poor outcomes. The report rightly emphasises the need for improvement in early-stage cancer diagnosis. Biomedical scientists are at the forefront of this challenge, and we fully endorse a national strategy to expedite cancer diagnostics. As outlined in a recent Oxera report, biomedical scientists play a key role in cancer pathways, annually benefiting the NHS by up to £571 million in the bowel cancer patient pathway alone.
Our IBMS/AstraZeneca “Time to Test” report, outlines a comprehensive framework for building the capacity the NHS needs for future cancer testing. It addresses six key challenges: growing the workforce, centralising cancer testing, enabling providers, improving data, developing an accountability framework, and investing in core infrastructure. By implementing these recommendations, alongside community-based testing and home-sampling methods, we can reduce cancer backlogs and improve survival rates.
Productivity and Innovation: A Technological Transformation
Lord Darzi’s report calls for a tilt towards technology to unlock productivity and address inefficiencies. We echo the need for technological advancements, particularly the integration of AI into diagnostic pathways. As outlined in our Digital Pathology and Integrated Care Systems white paper with Microsoft, digital pathology offers significant advantages in improving care quality and efficiency, providing a roadmap for establishing equitable digital pathology services across networks and integrated care systems.
Our upcoming Earlier Diagnostics report will also outline a structured framework for adopting technological innovations. This includes prioritising the standardisation of systems and processes across specialties and departments to ensure interoperability, which is essential for seamless data sharing across networks. Once integration is achieved, AI-assisted technologies can reach their full potential, leading to significant improvements in diagnostic speed, accuracy, and accessibility. Biomedical scientists are already utilising these tools, but further investment and training will be crucial to fully realise these benefits.
A Call for Investment in Diagnostics and Expertise
The lasting damage caused by structural changes in the NHS, as highlighted in the report, underscores the importance of investing in management capacity and expertise. Biomedical scientists are pivotal in shaping the future of diagnostics and laboratory medicine. A key priority is ensuring that biomedical scientists can perform at the top of their licence, building advanced and expert skills to drive innovation and improve healthcare outcomes.
Despite recent growth in clinical and scientific staff, workforce increases have not kept pace with the rising complexity and demand within the NHS. The IBMS Long Term Biomedical Scientist Workforce Plan outlines key steps to secure the future of the diagnostic workforce. These include working with UK governments to introduce a registration training grant for departments, expanding training positions to ensure a steady pipeline of registered biomedical scientists, and recognising biomedical scientists as a core health service workforce in pathology. By supporting this plan, we can ensure the NHS has the talent and expertise required to meet evolving healthcare needs and deliver on the promises of diagnostic innovation.
IBMS Chief Executive David Wells comments:
“Lord Darzi’s report clearly illustrates the urgent need for reform within the NHS. The biomedical science professions are ready to play a central role in delivering these changes. By expanding diagnostic capacity in the community and enabling our workforce to perform at the top of their licence, we can drive earlier interventions and improve patient outcomes. The IBMS is committed to supporting these critical transformations, ensuring that diagnostics remains at the heart of a stronger, more sustainable NHS.”
Conclusion: Pathology as a Driver of Healthcare Improvement
Pathology and diagnostics are central to many of the critical changes highlighted in Lord Darzi’s report. To drive healthcare improvement, it is essential that we invest not only in technologies and infrastructure but also in the people who deliver these services. By enabling biomedical scientists to perform at the top of their licence, we can maximise the impact of diagnostic innovations, reduce hospital admissions, and ensure timely interventions.
The IBMS is committed to working collaboratively to build a workforce with the advanced skills and expertise necessary to meet the evolving demands of healthcare. Through strategic investment in diagnostics and supporting frameworks, we can create a healthcare system that is more agile, efficient, and resilient. The IBMS stands ready to support these reforms, ensuring diagnostic science remains a cornerstone of a future-focused NHS.