Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, is among the experts who welcomed the UK government’s commitment to investing in technology and innovation to find new ways to tackle cancer and other life-threatening diseases with faster diagnoses and better treatments.
The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) unveiled a range of public and private investment plans this week, including an artificial intelligence (AI) digital pathology data platform set to receive £6.4 million from the government. It coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month being marked internationally in October.
Diwakar said: “The investment in AI pathology represents new hope in helping us to treat and cure a range of diseases. By supporting secure access to this unique dataset, we can help researchers to learn more about various conditions, including cancer, so that they can both spot how to prevent disease and also find the next generation of treatments and cures faster.
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“The NHS is globally unique in holding data for the entire population. This makes the test result information we hold particularly valuable for AI training as we know that it represents the population properly. Like all data in NHS secure data environments, there are strict access rules, meaning the information will remain under the control of the NHS at all times and will only allow secure access to approved researchers who are conducting analysis which improves health and care.”
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) unveiled a £118 million fund to create five new hubs across the country to help develop new health technologies and the government’s International Investment Summit next week is also aimed at new partnerships in the field of life sciences for drug development, clinical trials and MedTech production.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “As a cancer survivor, I know how vital an early cancer diagnosis and the latest treatments are. This investment will not only save lives, but also secure Britain’s status as a powerhouse for life sciences and medical technology.
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“When we combine the care of the NHS and the genius of our country’s leading scientific minds, we can develop life changing treatments for patients and help get Britain’s economy booming.”
The life sciences industry contributes £108 billion to the UK economy and drove GBP 800 million in foreign direct investment into the UK in 2023, supporting around 300,000 jobs.
As part of latest plans, a £9 million Multinomic Analysis of Immunotherapy Features Evidencing Success and Toxicity (MANIFEST) consortium will be led by the Francis Crick Institute together with the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, as well academic and industry partners, to support the better targeting of immunotherapy as a treatment for cancer.
