The aims of BIVDA

BIVDA represents both manufacturers and distributors who are active in the UK. Therefore, it is not just an association of UK diagnostic companies. All IVD companies, irrespective of their national origin, are eligible to become members and to nominate individuals for office.

The aims of BIVDA are encompassed in its mission statement:

"To promote the role of IVDs in healthcare and to meet the needs of the UK Diagnostics Industry through representation and professional services."

BIVDA at work

BIVDA puts the mission statement into action by promoting members' interests in a variety of ways:

1. Raising awareness with the healthcare professions, general public,
   and politicians of the role that IVD's can play in better healthcare
   management.
2. Identifying the key issues facing the industry and providing a
   national platform for their discussion. Where appropriate, taking
   action on behalf of the industry for its collective benefit.
   
   Influencing UK Government, Institutional Bodies and Professional Associations.
3. Representing UK views to European legislators and European industry
   as a whole, via EDMA and taking an active role in their working parties.
4. Facilitating UK IVD exports by identifying and acting to reduce
   barriers to trade, and seeking government support for overseas trade
   initiatives and exhibitions.
5. Enhancing technology transfer through the Diagnostics Club.
6. Co-ordinating independent, accurate Market Data Surveys.
7. Exploring opportunities for IVD's in primary healthcare within
   the NHS.
8. Promoting communication and co-operation between members in establishing
   and maintaining ethical principles and practices voluntarily agreed
   upon.
9. Supplying an efficient information and commercial support service.
10. Specifically providing assistance and support for start-up and
    small trading companies.
11. Bringing other interested bodies to a common forum.

How we operate

Representation

BIVDA represents its members on a range of national and international bodies, working parties and committees. These include the Council and Working Parties of EDMA and BSI Standards Committees. In addition, we maintain specific contacts with DTI and the Medical Devices Agency of the DoH. The Parliamentary Group provides information and evidence to Members of Parliament and their Committees.

International promotion

Members commercial interests are promoted internationally through a wide range of trade missions, seminars, trade fairs and conferences.

Information Services

Information on issues relating to In Vitro Diagnostics is gathered, summarised and disseminated through the monthly Newsletter, and retained for reference. In addition, members have access to our in-house library.

Public Relations

BIVDA regularly provides information on the role of In Vitro Diagnostics for industry specific and general media, exhibitions and educational material.

How we help you and your business

BIVDA concentrates on putting words into action. There is a clearly defined range of activities designed to bring tangible benefits to you and your fellow members.

Through discussion with you and regulatory bodies - both national and European - we ensure regulations are not implemented without consultation. Through relevant programmes and interaction with influential groups we seek to stimulate and create a positive atmosphere within which you and your colleagues in the industry can work.

We help to ensure regulators and administrators at both national and international levels are aware of your opinions and thus create a more favourable climate for operations and investment - both now and in the future.

Your links within the European Community is strengthened through our membership of EDMA, the Representative body for IVD's within the European Community, and our involvement in its Working Parties and Steering Groups.

Your membership will help you reduce the cost of market research by participating in the Market Audit.

We help to stimulate Technology Transfer between Academia and industry through our position on the Board of the Diagnostics Club, which we helped to set up following recommendations arising from the NEDO IVD Working Party in 1989 on which we served.

You can promote your products through DTI financially sponsored trade missions and fairs. This will help you to break into new export markets and also make considerable savings on exhibition and marketing costs.

You can use our membership network to form business links through our meetings and newsletters. This network acts as both a source of advice and valuable assistance for your company.

You can use our specialist documentation service to provide you with access to documents, books and market research reports to the benefit of your business.

Specific meetings/workshops are held for start-up companies at which advice and guidance is provided. Topics covered include financial aspects and business planning.

In this increasingly tough healthcare environment, we all benefit from shared experience. As a member you will find help to make new contacts, meet collaborative partners, research new markets and boost your exports.

What BIVDA means to its company members

These are the views of two of our members, the first a large mutinational, the second a relatively small UK company designing, marketing and manufacturing IVDs.

What BIVDA means to a large, multinational diagnostics company

What value does BIVDA bring to our organisation? It has been demonstrated many times that outside of the hospital laboratory In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD's) are not very well understood. You only need to look at the recently published NHS Plan to recognise this. In its snapshot of a typical day in the NHS, where are the hundreds of thousands of laboratory tests that are carried out daily? In its list of NHS staff, where are the thousands of laboratory professionals? Raising awareness of the value of diagnostics, outside of the hospital laboratory is an objective of Roche Diagnostics. But despite being one of the world's leading diagnostics companies, this is something that we cannot do alone.

BIVDA has for several years focused on the same objective of raising awareness of the value of diagnostics. This is the single most important aim of the "Professional and Public Relations Steering Group" including the "Parliamentary Group" whose aims are just that. So why work with BIVDA and not just go it alone? Firstly, BIVDA is not only driving home the "the difference diagnostics can make" message, but it is also positioning itself as the organisation that individuals or groups within or outside the industry should contact with their queries relating to In-Vitro Diagnostics. In other words, BIVDA is the first port of call for IVD information. Not only does it make contact with the diagnostics industry as a whole simple and straightforward, but BIVDA is also seen as offering impartial advise. This impartiality adds credence to the message and also serves to encourage dialogue in the first place.

BIVDA's knowledge is, however, only as up to date as the information that is fed into it by its members, allied groups and laboratory professionals. It is therefore in all our interests to keep BIVDA abreast of the latest developments within our organisations and market places, irrespective of our company size. In addition, BIVDA is working hard to build a comprehensive network of relationships with influential members of parliament, be they in government or in opposition. Only by working closely with BIVDA will companies benefit from these relationships.

Finally, individual companies can more cost effectively access these policy and decision makers, by participating in BIVDA activities. BIVDA is creating opportunities that would otherwise be costly to an individual company, be it human or financial resource. So, although Roche Diagnostics is one of the world's leading diagnostics company, BIVDA does present us with unique opportunities. Our objectives are BIVDA's objectives. We need BIVDA, BIVDA needs us. Together we can show the "difference diagnostics can make".

Author: Louise Spavins, Roche Diagnostics

What BIVDA means to a small sized diagnostics company

Provalis Diagnostics has been a member of BIVDA for a number of years, which meant receiving updates, being on the mailing list, providing the odd bit of statistical information when requested and generally playing quite a passive role. At membership renewal time the question had echoed round the walls of our office 'what do we get out of BIVDA?'. In the past it has to be admitted the answer was- not a lot! Recently the situation has changed, we have become more involved this does not mean that we have become the most active and influential of members, sitting on the main committee or chairing working groups.

Life in a small diagnostics company means that all noses are firmly located on the grindstone creating sales and developing markets in order to stay in business, rather than the luxury of time to be involved in industry groups. However, over the last two of years we have occasionally lifted our noses from the grindstone, and participated in one of the BIVDA working parties and attended a couple of exhibitions where BIVDA have had a stand as an industry body. The working party has given us an opportunity to meet with other companies to discuss ways of developing small market niches where technology and the industry is way ahead of opinion leader acceptance of new principles.

By pooling ideas during these meetings as a working party we are able to develop an industry position to influence the decision makers in healthcare and to formulate ways of developing market acceptance despite opinion leader entrenchment.The opportunity to participate at national meetings on a BIVDA exhibition stand for free, (a great advantage for a small company) has provided us with a chance to test the temperature of response to diagnostics with groups that we would never have been able to reach in the normal working day. At the BMA Annual meeting last year we met and saw at first hand the medical reaction to in vitro diagnostics. From a regulatory angle the CE marketing seminars have been a useful source of information and they have provided us with access to movers and shakers in key regulatory bodies.

So in conclusion, over the last two years, with an increased level of involvement with BIVDA, we have found it is very much like any other aspect of life - the more one puts in the more one gets out! Also that echo at membership renewal time is now much more positively responded to.

Author: Rosemary Howell, Provalis Diagnostics