The Government has reminded the general public and businesses that the deadline for the EU Settlement Status scheme applications is on the horizon and that applicants should ensure they have correctly provided their details. 30th June 2021 is the application deadline and there are more than 1,500 people employed in the Home Office team working on the scheme’s operations.  European citizens in the UK are encouraged to apply so that their rights can be secured in UK law. Data published ...

NHSX, in collaboration with the AHSN Network, is inviting contributions to a survey which aims to provide a snapshot of AI development and implementation in health and care, including the impact of the NHS AI Lab. NHSX have produced the attached comms pack to support the release of the 2021 survey, expected to run for five weeks. The survey went live on 13 January. Your support with dissemination through your own channels would be much appreciated.

Daily COVID-19 testing of school students and teachers has been paused by Government after Public Health England recommended the suspension of lateral flow tests in these settings due to questions over their widespread use in rapid testing programmes. Gavin Williamson, the Education Minister, had hailed the daily school testing as a “milestone moment” five weeks ago upon the scheme’s launch. PHE stated its uncertainty over the initiative as it balanced the risks and potential o...

NHS Test and Trace reached more than one million people over the New Year week, advising them to self-isolate due to either a positive test result or close contact with an infected person. These are record levels for the service as they endeavour to get in contact with positive cases and trace those who were in recent close contact with them to isolate the virus and prevent further transmission within the community. During the first week of 2021, NHS Test and Trace reaching 92.7% of contacts, an...

Member Press Release – New England Biolabs Multiplex Assay KitThis new research use only kit enables high throughput multiplex detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid, supports increased sample input and reduces background amplification from possible contaminating genomic DNA. IPSWICH, MA (January 12, 2021) — New England Biolabs® (NEB®) today announced the launch of its Luna® SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Multiplex Assay Kit for real-time detection of SARS-CoV-2 nuc...

An Imperial College-led study has found that the adoption of new technologies into the health and care environments has benefited both patients and staff. 2,200 workers were involved in the global study across six countries that found improvements in the way employees work and are able to treat their patients. Access to healthcare has also been boosted through the use of video technologies for patients.Digital and data tools such as online portals and video consultations have been used more and ...

As key worker status has been applied to essential members of BIVDA member company staff again this lockdown, please see below a set of 3 letters from BIVDA for you to supply if helpful together with any correspondence of your own to your key worker employees. Schooling: This letter will support their notification to their child's school that they need to be kept at school. Some schools are querying critical workers not being the same as key workers, this is not the case ...

The trade section of the Office for Life Sciences has published a comprehensive Q&A document, including answers or links to guidance for every question on exports and Brexit regulation noted down from the webinars undertaken with the sector over the last few months.Topics covered include Medical Device Regulation, Chemicals, REACH and tariffs. You can find the briefing note attached below. 

The Government has announced a wider roll-out of rapid COVID-19 across England. There will be a community testing regime initiated this week, covering all 317 local authorities. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that rapid lateral flow tests will be used, providing a positive or negative result within 30 minutes. He said that he hoped such a move towards rapid COVID-19 testing will break transmission rates within communities and lessen the skyrocketing number of cases in England. Governmen...

BIVDA Statement on UK Rare Disease Framework BIVDA Chief Executive Doris-Ann Williams has welcomed the publication of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. The Framework lists the priorities and underlying strategic themes that detail how the UK will address the challenges faced by those living with rare diseases, with four high-level priorities for action over the next five years: Helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professio...