Download the full white paper here:

Making every test count: Delivering the NHS 10 Year Health Plan through faster, fairer access to in-vitro diagnostics, published today, is the final part of a year-long collaboration between the RCPath and Roche Diagnostics, one of the College’s corporate members. 

Drawing on three educational webinars facilitated by the RCPath in partnership with Roche Diagnostics in 2025/6, the white paper sets out important examples of how diagnostics can enable the effective delivery of the three shifts outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan. Examples include community-based point of care testing of flu and other respiratory viruses (from hospital to community), self-sampling in cervical cancer screening (sickness to prevention) and AI-driven digital pathology (analogue to digital).

Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex, Alison Bennett, opens the white paper acknowledging the essential role of pathology and in-vitro diagnostics in clinical decision making and the effect on patients of waiting for test results when pathology services are stretched.

Ms Bennett MP welcomes this joint initiative, saying, ‘It brings together the pathology workforce and industry insight to look honestly at what is working, what is not, and what needs to change if we are to deliver a more sustainable, responsive NHS’.

Making every test count provides examples where implementation of cutting-edge digital and in vitro diagnostic technologies have delivered tangible improvements to patient care, as well as case studies that illustrate patient experience. 

The final section of the white paper sets out calls to action for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, and regulatory and health technology assessment bodies (NICE, MHRA etc). These include: 

• A call to DHSC to ensure that all Pathology Networks achieve full digital scanning and reporting by 2029 to unlock the technology funding promised in the 10 Year Plan and to fast-track proven innovations in AI and IVDs to bypass fragmented local procurement hurdles.
• The recommendation to measure total pathway efficiency and long-term savings from IVDs - such as reduced bed days, avoided isolation costs, and averted antibiotic use - rather than just the upfront cost-per-test. 
• A call to NHS England to mandate a ‘single sign-on’ diagnostic record to allow pathologists to instantly view digital slides across different trust boundaries, ending the postcode lottery of specialist expertise, and to reinvest 10% of the savings generated from reduced hospital admissions (achieved through early diagnostic tools, like respiratory POCT) directly back into frontline pathology staffing, infrastructure, and community rollout.

Dr Bernie Croal, President of the Royal College of Pathologists, said: 
We are delighted to have collaborated with Roche Diagnostics on Making every test count – this white paper brings into sharp focus how urgently action from government, in all UK nations, is needed to enable pathology services to optimise use of cutting-edge in vitro diagnostics for the benefit of patients. Investment in IT infrastructure, increased digitisation with more interoperability, are key priorities. Without these and other future-proofing actions outlined in this report, the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan for England, and its equivalents in our devolved nations, cannot be realised. This publication, which includes insights and data from our educational webinars on the ‘three shifts’, patient case studies and wider research, highlights how vital pathology and in vitro diagnostics are to building a sustainable health system for the future.

Matthew Johnson, Director of Access and Innovation, Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland, said “We are proud to have worked with the Royal College of Pathologists on this important white paper, which reflects our shared ambition to ensure everyone benefits from the full potential of modern diagnostics. The nation is at a pivotal moment for healthcare across the UK, as governments look to improve outcomes while building a more sustainable health system. Pathology and in-vitro diagnostics have a vital role to play in this. We hope the evidence and recommendations in this report help inform the policy decisions and investments needed to ensure every test counts, because every test has the potential to deliver a diagnosis that changes a life, while equipping pathology services to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

The College will further develop partnerships with kindred organisations, industry leaders, and stakeholders to exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for supporting the calls to action set out in Making every test count. We’re committed to working with Roche Diagnostics and other corporate partners to tackle barriers affecting national roll-out of IVD technologies that have been shown to improve pathology practice and patient care.

For more information about this publication, contact RCPath Corporate and Public Engagement Manager, Penny Fletcher.