Preparing for the Unseen: the Diagnostic Accelerator
UK Health Security Agency
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Melanie Amphlett is Head of Operations for UKHSA’s Diagnostic Accelerator, which launches today.
Today, I'm excited to introduce UKHSA’s Diagnostic Accelerator: a critical step forward in our national health security.
With over 20 years of experience as a Biomedical Scientist in clinical and public health virology, I've seen how crucial timely and accurate diagnostic testing can be in managing infectious disease threats. The lessons from COVID-19 could not have been clearer: we need a proactive, and dedicated approach to diagnostic preparedness.
This is where the Diagnostic Accelerator comes in. Building on valuable learnings and successes from the recent pandemic, this vital initiative will boost the country’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to emerging infectious disease threats, helping to ensure that we have the right diagnostic portfolio ready to go in times of need.
Work is already underway to assess the UK’s capabilities for pathogens within prioritised bacterial and viral families, and my team recently completed a rigorous review of existing technologies across the testing landscape. This exercise identified some gaps in testing capacity and helped us to scope out the products we need to have ready for the infectious diseases that pose the greatest risk.
My team will now take this work forward; providing clear prioritisation of diagnostic activity across the organisation, while fostering the high-value partnerships we will need in order to put the right defences in place. Close work with industry, academia, non-governmental and other governmental organisations will be crucial, to ensure that the right diagnostics are not only available when they are needed, but can be scaled up when required.?
For each pathogen we’re concerned about, we want to know:
As well as looking at diagnostic technologies we’re working to address known barriers to testing Hazard group 3 pathogens at scale, such as overcoming the bottlenecks that are created when needing to make samples safe in containment level 3 laboratories. New approaches to sample inactivation are a key focus of our work and we are looking to work closely with manufacturers to innovate in this area.
In launching this exciting new initiative, we’re not just responding to threats; we're preparing to stay ahead of them. I am looking forward to the next step in what will be a significant development for UKHSA and for the country’s future health.
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Are you a manufacturer or research partner passionate about advancing the country’s diagnostic capabilities? We're seeking collaborative partners to innovate in sample inactivation and testing technologies.
Connect with us to explore how we can drive future health security together: [email protected].
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