COVID-19 message for members

As the UK government moves to contain, delay, research and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we would like to take a moment to thank our hard working members on the frontline providing the healthcare services that make each step of this plan possible.

Biomedical scientists and laboratory staff are often thought of as being behind the scenes but when a situation like this comes to the front of the news agenda people start to realise just how reliant they are on the skills and expertise of our non-stop services.

As part of NHS England & NHS Improvement's (NHSE/I) push to increase testing capacity, they have formally asked us to disseminate the following message to our members:

This week, NHSE/I have formally asked Pathology services across England to increase their testing capacity for COVID-19 as part of the ongoing preparedness planning.

Working with their Pathology Network partners all NHS England Trusts should be working to scale up testing capacity as rapidly as possible. NHS Pathology Networks are asked to appoint a lead to head up this work and to ensure they are linked into the communication and planning meetings planned to commence on Monday 9th March.

For more information please look out for information distributed via the NHS Trust Executives and senior pathology managers alternatively email Nhsi.pathemergencyresponse@nhs.net.

Again, the IBMS would like to thank our members for the great contributions they are making towards the government's action plan.