NHS Recovery plan: one year on

Putting Health Policy at the Heart of the UK’s Policy Agenda was organised by Policy Connect and chaired by Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan.

One year after NHS England’s publication of its plan to tackle the backlog of elective care, the event set out to review how far the NHS has come, explore the solutions for elective recovery and discuss the ways to better use resources to address this backlog, waiting lists and delays on treatments.

Also joining the panel:

• Sir James Mackey, National Director for Elective Recovery.
• Rachel Picton, Dean of Allied and Community Health at London Southbank University
• Professor Scarlett McNally, Deputy Director of the Centre for Perioperative Care and Consultant orthopaedic surgeon.
• Urte Macikene, Policy & External Affairs Manager at Healthwatch.

Point of Care Testing, Advanced Practice and AI & Digital Pathology were some of the main themes discussed by the speakers.

IBMS President Debra Padgett, said:

“Using the new and available innovative POCT solutions, the Government must commit to the expansion of diagnostic testing to expedite patients into the right pathways and avoid hospital-based care.

“The Government should encourage adoption of Advanced Practice, consultant equivalent, biomedical scientists in every NHS Trust to reduce diagnostic reporting backlogs.

“Technology, innovation and AI are the future of pathology services, and the Government must commit to continued funding for the Biomedical Science sector to further diagnostic research.”