9 in 10 English community pharmacies are now taking part in the latest, wide-scale rolling out of rapid coronavirus tests. These rapid tests are designed for use at home and are now available to the wider population, with or without symptoms, as the Government seeks to utilise testing as part of the lockdown easing process. The tests provide a result within 30 minutes and help to break the chains of transmission within communities. The ‘Pharmacy Collect’ programme allows people in co...

A survey conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Mölnlycke, a medical solutions company, has found that the elective care surgery backlog is of concern to 70% of surgeon staff. The survey has revealed the devastating impact of pauses in elective surgical procedures triggered by the COVID-19 crisis. Among the results, 70% of respondents said they are concerned about the backlog of procedures at their hospital trust. Over 500 respondents were involved in the study, all were healthcare profession...

BIVDA welcomes NICE Five Year Plan BIVDA, the trade association for British IVD companies,  has welcomed the publication of NICE’s five year strategy document. The document runs from 2021 to 2026 and is designed to ensure the organisation remains “excellent”, more dynamic and more collaborative in their work. According to NICE,  the plan puts science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision making, while keeping ahead of the challenges of a rapidly c...

NICE has released a strategy and future vision document for the period 2021 to 2026 which is designed to ensure the organisation remains excellent, more dynamic and more collaborative in their work. The route map builds on the solid foundations of the last 22 years of NICE’s work. The plan puts science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision making, while keeping ahead of the challenges of a rapidly changing world.  External stakeholders including key opinion leaders, pa...

The largest surge testing operation to date is now under way in South London areas due to a considerable outbreak of the COVID variant first detected in South Africa. The cluster of infections in these areas is said to be ‘significant’, with dozens of people self-isolating or already having completed an isolation period. More than 70 confirmed or possible cases of the South African variant are said to have been recorded so far. Extra testing and genomic sequencing is being provided i...

BioMérieux has announced the CE marking of three dengue fever immunoassays. The fully automated assays run on the firm's VIDAS® systems. These VIDAS® DENGUE assays can be used independently to detect the viral antigen (NS1) and antibodies (IgM and IgG) produced by the host in response to the infection. These three serological tests are recommended by international guidelines. BioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which deter...

BIVDA, the trade association for British in-vitro diagnostic companies, has welcomed the launch of the ‘Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund’ which is now open for applications. The new fund of £20 million is dedicated to expanding the manufacturing capacity of the life sciences industry.  The fund is open to manufacturers of human licensed medicines, medical diagnostics and medical devices, and projects must have a minimum total size of 8M, wit...

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi has today announced a new fund of £20 million dedicated to expanding the manufacturing capacity of the life sciences industry. The ‘Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund’ is now open for applications. Applicants are invited to apply for a share of the total fund. The fund aims to boost economic opportunities, innovation and health resilience by supporting medicines and diagnostics investments in the UK. The fund is open to p...

The Government is to provide an additional £250 million of funding to scientists and researchers as part of its commitment to drive the UK forward as a science superpower. The new funding will be injected into projects and research efforts this year, supporting pioneering research. As a result, the UK scientific community will have access to more public funding than ever before. This takes total Government investment in R&D to £14.9 billion in 2021/22 and follows four years of si...

Why Your Diagnostic Tests can be Vital A blood test can mean the difference between life and death. Hard-hitting as it sounds, diagnostic tests provide results that can change an individual’s life and allow health professionals to diagnose and then treat their conditions.Diagnostic tests are a key component in virtually every health intervention that takes place. The results of these tests provide essential and invaluable information throughout the healthcare process, with tests being...