Empowering the NHS Transformation Through Technology & Innovation
AXREM, the UK trade association representing the medical imaging, radiotherapy, healthcare IT and care innovation industry, welcomes the Government’s new 10 Year Health Plan and the creation of Neighbourhood Health Services as a timely and visionary step towards delivering truly integrated, locally accessible care.
This vision of decentralised, community based healthcare, delivered closer to patients’ homes and supported by integrated teams of health and care professionals aligns with AXREM’s long-standing advocacy for innovation, accessibility, and health equity across the NHS. It marks a significant shift in national strategy, reflecting the urgent need to rebalance services away from overburdened acute settings and toward preventative, digitally connected, and patient-centred care. This means that investment in the digital and diagnostics space is key and will form the backbone of the plan. These ambitions align with AXREM’s mission to help build a future proof health system that is more equitable, efficient, and clinically effective.
Diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy will be fundamental to the success of this transformation. Early detection, personalised treatment planning, and targeted therapeutic interventions remain critical to improving patient outcomes and reducing the long-term burden on acute care. The expansion and integration of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) will play a key role in enabling faster access to these vital services, cutting waiting times, enhancing preventative care, and bringing clinical excellence closer to patients’ homes.
We are encouraged by the Government’s commitment to:
- Expand diagnostic services across neighbourhood health centres, ensuring earlier detection and faster treatment pathways;
- Increase use of AI and digital tools and we hope this includes the AI algorithms our members provide that can help with workflow, early detection and triage to create efficiencies within the system.
- Strengthen workforce capacity and improve continuity of care through enhanced GP access and personalised care plans;
- Promote whole-system collaboration by co-locating services including diagnostics, rehabilitation, mental health, social care, and voluntary support under one roof, and CDC’s would be the perfect example and potential place for this to work effectively.
Neighbourhood Health Centres must be supported by:
- Advanced imaging capabilities to detect diseases earlier and guide more effective treatments;
- Access to radiotherapy services where appropriate, ensuring accessibility of treatment and enabling continuity of cancer care from diagnosis through to recovery;
- Seamless referral pathways from CDCs into local care teams and tertiary providers.
We also welcome the emphasis on:
- AI powered innovation to streamline workflows and reduce clinical burnout;
- Multi-sectoral co-location to address the social determinants of health;
- A digital-first infrastructure that supports remote monitoring, virtual consultations, and population health analytics.
As partners to the NHS, AXREM members stand ready to provide the technologies and insight that will make this vision a reality, from scalable diagnostic platforms and cloud based imaging solutions to precision radiotherapy systems and AI enabled radiology tools.
This is a defining moment for our health service. AXREM looks forward to working with the Government, frontline providers and staff to ensure that the deployment of innovation is thoughtful, inclusive, and truly transformative for communities across the UK.
Sally Edgington, AXREM CEO said “The Government’s commitment to bring care closer to communities through Neighbourhood Health Services I can only see at a positive for the NHS, but most importantly the patient.
Diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy and digital innovation are not just enablers, they are essential to delivering earlier diagnoses, equitable access, and smarter, more responsive care pathways.
AXREM members are proud to support this vision by providing the technologies and expertise that will underpin these vital changes. To succeed, we must now ensure that Community Diagnostic Centres are fully embedded in local care ecosystems, and that investment in infrastructure, innovative diagnostic solutions, digital tools, and workforce development keeps pace with ambition."
AXREM Chairman, Huw Shurmer said “As Chair of AXREM, I fully support the ambitions set out in the NHS 10-Year Plan, particularly the focus on prevention, early diagnosis, and bringing care closer to communities, an initiative that's been close to my heart for some time. Our members see Community diagnostic centres as a vital component to supporting this vision.
By investing in and expanding access to diagnostics in community settings, we can significantly reduce pressure on acute services, shorten waiting times, and most importantly, detect conditions earlier, when they are more treatable and outcomes are far better for patients.
Industry stands ready to partner with the NHS, offering the innovation, technology, and expertise needed to deliver scalable, sustainable diagnostic solutions. Together, we can build a more proactive, accessible, and equitable health system that serves the needs of all.
We commend the NHS’s continued commitment to transformation and are proud to support a plan that puts patients first and harnesses the full potential of collaboration between public and private sectors.”.
AXREM offer the government our services to help shape this future and ask that we meet at the earliest convenience to discuss how we can help and support their ambitions.
Note:
AXREM members supply the majority of diagnostic medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment installed in UK hospitals. In doing so, our member companies and their employees work side by side with Radiologists, Radiographers, Practitioners, Oncologists and a wide range of healthcare professionals in delivering healthcare to patients using our technologies.
Our members therefore have unique knowledge, experience and insight into the workflow and challenges faced by healthcare professionals on a day-to-day basis, which enables us to develop and offer innovative solutions to improve the speed and quality of diagnostic procedures and treatments with our ultimate aim of improving patient care.
Although our members operate in a highly competitive commercial environment and in strict conformity with UK laws and regulations, certain issues such as this require focus and resolution on an industry-wide basis.
For further information about this press release please contact AXREM Chief Executive Officer – Sally Edgington
AXREM, Rotherwick House, 3 Thomas More Street, London, E1W 1YZ
E sally.edgington@axrem.org.uk
T 07717 058649
