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Topic : Diagnostics Type : Report

A new report from Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland, developed in partnership with the Royal College of Pathologists, sets out how in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) can help deliver the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan by supporting the three strategic shifts: from hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital.

Making Every Test Count argues that diagnostics are fundamental to delivering faster diagnosis, improving patient outcomes and creating a more sustainable NHS. While IVDs influence around 70% of clinical decisions, they account for less than 1% of NHS spending, highlighting the significant opportunity to improve value through earlier and more effective diagnosis.

Launching one year after publication of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, the report showcases practical examples of innovation already making a difference, including:

• Community-based point-of-care testing for respiratory infections, reducing diagnostic turnaround times from days to minutes and helping avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
• HPV self-sampling to improve uptake of cervical screening and support the move towards prevention.
• AI-enabled digital pathology, helping pathologists prioritise urgent cases, improve diagnostic accuracy and make better use of a stretched workforce.

The report also highlights the barriers preventing wider adoption of proven technologies, including fragmented procurement, inconsistent digital infrastructure, workforce pressures and variations in access between different parts of the country. It argues that without addressing these challenges, the NHS risks missing the full benefits of diagnostic innovation.

The publication includes a foreword from Alison Bennett MP, who highlights the vital but often overlooked role of pathology services in supporting clinical decision-making and improving patient outcomes. She calls for greater consistency in adopting innovation so that patients can benefit regardless of where they live.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for:

• Greater interoperability and digital maturity across pathology services.
• Assessment of diagnostics based on whole-pathway value and long-term savings, rather than simply the upfront cost of individual tests.
• Inclusion of diagnostics and AI within the NHS Innovator Passport.
• Reinvestment of a proportion of savings generated through earlier diagnosis into frontline pathology services and community diagnostics.

As the NHS seeks to shift care closer to home, improve prevention and accelerate digital transformation, the report makes the case that diagnostics should be recognised not as a supporting service, but as a strategic enabler of healthcare transformation.