WHO IS BIVDA?
The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) was established in London in February 1992 as the national trade association for companies with major involvement and interest in the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) industry. BIVDA also represents the interests of the IVD industry in the UK as a member of the European Diagnostics Manufactures Association (EDMA), which in turn represents the IVD industry in Europe.
BIVDA is governed by an Executive Committee of 10 company representatives elected from the membership, plus the Director General. They assume responsibility for formulating policy together with planning activities and services. Day to day running is handled by a full-time secretariat based in Central London.
BIVDA OFFICERS
Chairman: David Horne, Alere
Treasurer: Jag Grewal, Omega Diagnostics Group plc
Management: Doris-Ann Williams MBE, Director General BIVDA
BIVDA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
David Horne, Alere
John Bagshaw, bio-Merieux UK Ltd
Jag Grewal, Omega Diagnostics Group plc
George Zajicek, Axis-Shield
Les Farrington, The Binding Site
Carla Deakin, Abbott (Chair Elect)
Doris-Ann Williams MBE, BIVDA Director General
Leanne Annereau, Beckman Coulter
Jeff Watson, BD Diagnostics
Peter McCulloch, Beckman Coulter
BIVDA represents both manufacturers and distributors who are active in the UK. Therefore, it is not just an association of UK diagnostics companies. All IVD companies, irrespective of their national origin, are eligible to become members and to nominate individuals for office.
The aims of BIVDA are encompassed in its mission statement:
“To promote the role of IVD in healthcare and to meet the needs of the UK Diagnostics Industry through representation and professional services”.
BIVDA puts the mission statement into action by promoting members’ interests in a variety of ways:
• Raising awareness with the healthcare professions, general public, and politicians (of the role that IVD can play in better healthcare management).
• Identifying the key issues facing the industry and providing a national platform for their discussion. Where appropriate, taking action on behalf of the industry for its collective benefit.
• Influencing UK Government, Institutional Bodies and Professional Associations.
• Representing UK views to European legislators and European industry as a whole, via EDMA and taking an active role in their working parties.
• Facilitating UK IVD exports by identifying and acting to reduce barriers to trade, and seeking government support for overseas trade initiatives and exhibitions.
• Co-ordinating independent, accurate Market Data Surveys.
• Exploring opportunities for IVD in primary healthcare within the NHS.
• Promoting communication and co-operation between members in establishing and maintaining ethical principles and practices voluntarily agreed upon.
• Supplying an efficient information and commercial support service.
• Specifically providing assistance and support for start-up and small trading companies.
• Bringing other interested bodies to a common forum.
Representation
BIVDA represents its members on a range of national and international bodies, working parties and committees. These include the Council and Working Parties of EDMA In addition, we maintain specific contacts with DBERR, DH and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
International Promotion
Members’ commercial interests are promoted internationally through a wide range of trade missions, seminars, trade fairs and conferences.
Information Services
Information on issues relating to In Vitro Diagnostics is gathered, summarised and disseminated through the Newsletter and weekly Update. In addition, members have access to our in-house library.
Public Relations
BIVDA regularly provides information on the role of In Vitro Diagnostics for industry specific and general media, exhibitions and educational material.
BIVDA STRATEGY
The Executive Committee of BIVDA regularly reviews the dynamics of both the marketplace and the IVD industry. The resulting strategy for BIVDA activities aims at improving further awareness of the cost utility of IVD, and the value to Healthcare of the professions involved in their use.
Clinical and Cost Utility
New technologies give the clinician more and more opportunities to use diagnostic tools in prognosis and in prediction and prevention of disease. Despite exhibiting excellent clinical and cost utility, the uptake of many new diagnostic tests, especially those associated with the use of the local hospital laboratory, is painfully slow.
BIVDA, in collaboration with the Association of Clinical Biochemists (ACB) and Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) carried out a survey that showed that the level of knowledge of the average practising clinician about IVD is remarkably low and out of date. In addition, the costing of the laboratory as a fixed budget overhead, rather than a clinical service charged out to each clinical speciality, hardly encourages the laboratory professionals to promote the utility of their services.
Working In Partnership
In order to try to correct this state of affairs to the benefit of all concerned, BIVDA is working with the Royal College of Pathologists, the ACB, and the IBMS on Labs Are Vital an independent platform aimed at improving the level of awareness of clinicians and health management regarding laboratory medicine. Eventually the target audience will be extended to the general public.
www.LabsAreVital.co.uk
Raising The Profile;
Raising the profile of diagnostics benefits IVD suppliers, laboratory professionals and patients.
Companies are invited to become involved in spreading the message that the appropriate use of IVD can have a major impact on the health of individuals and saving in healthcare budgets.
BIVDA provides examples of the role of IVD in providing downstream savings. We need members to provide evidence based articles relating to their own product lines to indicate how the use of these can assist healthcare management.
Working together with professional bodies can develop new cost utility arguments to support the introduction of new testing programmes. This will also increase the profile of the role of pathology in adding value to patient care.
HOW EXACTLY DOES THIS HELP ME AND MY BUSINESS?
BIVDA concentrates on putting words into action. There is a clearly defined range of activities designed to bring tangible benefits to you and your fellow members.
Through discussion with you and regulatory bodies (both national and European) we ensure regulations are not implemented without consultation. Through relevant programmes and interaction with influential groups we seek to stimulate and create a positive atmosphere within which you and your colleagues in the industry can work.
• We help to ensure regulators and administrators at both national and international levels are aware of your opinions and this creates a more favourable climate for operations and investment, both now and in the future.
• Your links with the European Community will be strengthened through our membership of EDMA – the representative body for IVD with the European Community and representation on their Working Parties.
• Your membership will help you reduce the cost of market research. Participation in the Market Audit programme is part of your membership package.
• We help to stimulate Technology Transfer between academia and industry through our work with DiagnOx and institutions such as Cranfield University.
• You can promote your products through BIVDA at trade missions and fairs. This will help you to break into new export markets and also make considerable savings on exhibition and marketing costs.
• You can use our membership network to form business links through our meetings and newsletters. This network acts as both a source of advice and valuable assistance for your company.
• You can use our specialist documentation service to provide you with access to documents, books and market research reports to the benefit of your business.
• Specific meetings/workshops are held for start-up companies at which advice and guidance is provided. Topics covered include financial aspects, business planning etc.
Providing an Invaluable Network
Nor do we stop there. In this increasingly tough healthcare environment, we all benefit from shared experience. Thus as a member you will find help to make new contacts, meet collaborative partners, research new markets and boost your exports.
Practically, the meeting rooms at the BIVDA offices can be booked for your own company meetings at no charge (subject to availability) or used as an informal workplace to collect e-mail, send faxes etc in between your meetings in central London.
WORKING PARTIES AND INTEREST GROUPS
BIVDA has established a number of Working Parties and Interest Groups which focus on specific issues affecting the industry. All Working Parties welcome and indeed depend on the volunteer efforts of its members, and each encourages membership of persons interested in its field of expertise. The overall aims of the Working Parties are to gather information in the respective areas, produce position papers, and advise the Executive Committee and Membership of latest developments, plan & implement initiatives and raise awareness of their sectoral interests. These groups include:
Regulatory Affairs
This group addresses the worldwide regulatory issues which affect development, manufacture and marketing if IVD, including Health and Safety, environmental legislation. The group encourages involvement from all companies in the development of industry positions and guidance and seeks to develop the highest professional standards of Regulatory personnel.
The Voice of Industry - Public and Professional Relations
Charged with delivering the BIVDA strategy, this group implements the general P&PR programmes and oversees the activities of disease related campaigns. This group also raises the profile of the diagnostic industry with government so that politicians are aware of the impact of diagnostic testing in the healthcare system.
Market Audit
Promoting and supporting the preparation of the UK Market Audit report and European Market Data summary.
Procurement
The members of this group review and comment on proposed changes to procurement processes and represent industry to UK market procurement bodies.
Point of Care
The members of this group are interested in products designed for the Point of Care market in both primary and secondary care. They are also involved with the OTC/self testing market.
Diabetes
This is a discrete sector of the industry and the group works to gain recognition of the importance of IVD in diagnosis and management of this debilitating disease and its contribution to reducing healthcare expenditure when used effectively.
Additionally sub-groups are formed as required when there are specific issues to be addressed. For example there currently is a sub-group from the Procurement Working Party focussing on Payment by Results