A special BIVDA Update with highlights from budget 2013 related to healthcare & life sciences.

As the IVD industry's representative, BIVDA is committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality of in vitro diagnostics in the interests of patients. 

Commercial IVDs used by the NHS, are currently regulated by an EU Directive, which is in UK law under the Consumer Protection Act and which requires continuous vigilance and reporting of product issues to the MHRA by the manufacturer. Additionally, all self-certified CE marked products must have sufficient technical/evaluation data on file and available for independent scrutiny.

BIVDA strongly believes this system is fit for purpose. However, alongside the European organisation, EDMA, BIVDA is an active participant in the current updating of the regulations in the EU.  BIVDA is also is fully committed to working with the Department of Health on the Pathology Quality Assurance Review, announced in December 2012. We will continue to lead the in vitro diagnostic industry in the UK on regulatory and quality issues.

The BIVDA AGM was a great success again this year, thank you to all the members who attended, and we are pleased to welcome the re-election of Les Farrington (The Binding Site) and Jag Grewal (Omega Diagnostics Group plc and Treasurer) back on to the executive committee along with a return by former Chairman, Paul Weinberger who now has his own company DiaSolve Ltd specialising in economic modelling and also Christopher Parker, the MD of Roche Diagnostics, UK & Ireland.
Carla Deakin (Abbott Diagnostics UK) is our new Chair taking over from David Horne who has done a fantastic job over the last two years.

On 24 October the British In Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA), Anticoagulation Europe and The Royal College of Pathologists will hold a cardiac health testing day in Parliament. The event, which will showcase innovative ‘point of care’ cardiac health tests all day, marks the 20th Anniversary of BIVDA.

60 per cent of British dads are out of shape putting them at greater risk of heart disease as well as affecting their family relationships, it emerged yesterday on the eve of Men’s Health Week 2012.

BIVDA responds to the report by medical journal Diabetic Medicine which suggests that 80% of the NHS's £9.8bn annual UK diabetes bill goes on the cost of treating complications.

The British In Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA) welcomes the response by Paul Burstow regarding diabetes testing.

Last week the Human Genomics Strategy Group (HGSG) launched their report Building on our inheritance: genomic technology in healthcare. BIVDA welcome this report as a comprehensive and thoughtful overview of genomic medicine but BIVDA still questions why genetic or genomic tests should be singled out as being different to any other diagnostic test

Key measures announced today to boost the UK’s life sciences sector will help deliver more effective and accurate diagnostics tests leading to significant benefits to patients and the NHS.