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COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS
Clearly in vitro diagnostic tests are a critical part of the management of this outbreak of COVID-19 and the IVD industry will be supporting the UK public health authorities and the NHS to ensure there is appropriate testing for our population. Links to advice for businesses and individuals can be found at the Gov.uk website here and are regularly updated as soon as information is available.
Register for COVID-19 testing for key workers here.
Members can find supporting materials for key workers going about their duties here.
Members can find key information from the MHRA about placing testing kits for COVID_19 on the market here.
Further information for suppliers or potential suppliers can be found here.
Details of the NHS's pandemic preparedness programme can be found here.
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Brexit & European Affairs Communications
BIVDA provides information on relevant policy developments, supplier regulations and to judge if any specific areas need to be addressed by Government in future. Our European Affairs function opened in February 2021 and issues guidance on exporting to the EU, trade policy, Brexit adjustments for companies and relevant information through MedTech Europe.
Please see previous BIVDA work on Brexit which may be of use to members below:
Webinar recordings and Q&A document
Many thanks to everyone who participated in one of our two Brexit Business Readiness webinars. If you were unable to join or would like to revisit one of the two sessions, you can find the recordings here. You can also find a Q&A document, created taking into account points raised and discussed during the webinars and if you did take part, please take the time to fill out this short survey.
BIVDA Launches the Don't Wait;Act campaign
The campaign seeks to encourage the public to attend test appointments without hesitating over COVID-related safety concerns at healthcare settings and to act swiftly on any worrying signs of symptoms of ill health. Many people who have long term conditions and need tests to monitor their disease may also have been missing blood tests and we hope this campaign will remind them of their importance.
BIVDA has worked with its membership to compile pathology testing rate data that demonstrate the fall in testing areas. Significant decreases have been seen in clinical areas such as anaemia (down 29%) HbA1c tests for people with diabetes (down 14%) and PSA prostate cancer (down 17%), among others.
A dedicated webpage has been set up where the public can view campaign content, this can be found at www.dontwaitact.co.uk
Latest issue of vIViD is available for download by members
Issue 31 of vIViD, the magazine for members, is now available for download on the BIVDA site. Please click here to access the virtual copy.
In this edition you can find out about BIVDA’s most recent work in helping to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, and a fascinating guest article from Richard Wardle at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust about their mobile testing service. We also update you on the work of our very active working parties, and Doris-Ann outlines how the life science sector has boosted its collaborative efforts this year.
Issue 31 also introduces the newest member companies that have joined BIVDA and provides a recap on BIVDA's and the working parties' recent activity.