Neighbourhood Health Services are to be rolled out across the country, bringing diagnostics, mental health, post-op, rehab and nursing to people's doorsteps. Accompanying the shift to the community, will be a focus on new technology and preventing illness.
In response to the plan, Dr Bernie Croal, President of the Royal College of Pathologists said:
Pathology services underpin healthcare from cradle to grave and will be central to delivering the 3 shifts in the plan. Pathologists and scientists play a vital role across all stages of patient care, including disease prevention and screening, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring.
Bringing vital diagnostic services closer to people's neighbourhoods has the potential to reduce delays and enable quicker clinical decision making. This will provide greater convenience and better health outcomes.
The College welcomes the publication of this plan at a time when NHS services face significant pressure, with many patients still experiencing delays in diagnosis and access to treatment.
Dr Bernie Croal President
The Government will reform the NHS through 3 shifts:
- from the hospital to community – pathology will be essential in providing the additional testing within neighbourhood health services, GP practices and direct to patients in their homes. Increasing clinical activity will bring more pathology testing that will drive faster diagnosis and treamtment and improve patient flow and waiting times.
- from analogue to digital – interoperable electronic patient records, alongside patient-facing NHS Apps, will be an important part of healthcare in the future. Diagnostic pathology needs to be integrated with these systems. There will need to be a focus on overcoming decades-long barriers around standardisation of test coding, terminology and interoperability, while looking to embrace digital, automation and artifical intelligence. This will need investment.
- from sickness to prevention – both clinical and laboratory elements of pathology services are necessary for screening and preventative strategies in cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease. A shift to prevention driven by modern diagnostic pathology services with timely and wide availability of key tests, such as genomics, will be essential.
Pathology will be integral to all and the College will develop its own plan, detailing the challenges all pathology specialties face and the solutions that they can bring collectively. Pathology can enable the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan, while also supporting wider aspects of healthcare provision, both now and in the future.
Read the full plan here: 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future - GOV.UK
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