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:
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.
- 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