Antrim-based diagnostic testing giant Randox Laboratories is increasing its number of high street clinics in Northern Ireland using the unique national coronavirus testing infrastructure, in which it invested heavily during the pandemic, to deliver a new range of preventative healthcare.
The move is part of a national programme of investment which will see up to 20 Randox Health clinics operating in Northern Ireland, Ireland and across the UK by the end of the year.
They will provide easy access for millions to a new Randox range of diagnostic tests, including for vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, allergies and key health concerns including heart, liver and kidney conditions.
These tests are available from £49. The aim is massively to increase real, affordable and preventative healthcare through early diagnostic testing on the high street by utilising Randox’s innovative combination of technology and science.
The clinics, on the Lisburn Road in Belfast and Strand Road in Derry-Londonderry will open on 1st June 2022. They will add to the Holywood and Crumlin Randox Health clinics which are already open to the public in Northern Ireland.
Since the start of the pandemic emergency, a total of 11 Randox clinics have also opened in London and Greater London, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester to add to the company’s original four in London, Liverpool, Crumlin and Holywood. A further clinic will open in Dublin.
As well utilising the physical infrastructure created for Covid-19 testing, the growing network of clinics is building on the new-found familiarity and trust placed in regular testing by millions during the pandemic.
Alongside ranges of individual tests, full body testing will cost as little as £295 per person for 12-month plan, including 2 full body health checks and a personalised health plan to help clients track and monitor their health.
Randox Health’s growing network of clinics will also offer fast-turnaround blood and urine tests, and samples which can be taken at home or under supervision in clinics.
Through sophisticated analysis of biomarkers in the blood, the tests will promote earlier identification of illness and allow action to be taken to enable people to live healthier for longer.
In 2019, 22.5% of all deaths in the UK were considered avoidable and 24.4% of the UK population were at risk as a result of at least one underlying health condition. This included one in five (19.6%) of working-aged adults. Through early diagnosis Randox aims to promote much better health across the UK and ease pressure on health care systems and hospitals.
Key to the unique range of diagnostic testing available at the clinics are testing technologies, facilities and comprehensive, nationwide distribution networks developed by Randox Laboratories to help meet the sudden massive national demand for Covid-19 PCR tests.
Randox built one of the world’s biggest Covid testing facilities, investing tens of millions of pounds of private capital to create 80,000 square feet of additional laboratory capacity and 50,000 square feet of logistics and engineering space. It also employed and trained more than 1000 new staff.
At the height of the pandemic emergency, the Randox facilities comprised the largest PCR laboratories in the UK and Ireland.
They were the first to process over 100,000 PCR tests in a single day and delivered a total of over 25 million gold standard PCR tests.
Randox founder Dr Peter Fitzgerald said:
“Randox diagnostic technologies use testing methods sensitive enough to identify early signs of future health concerns from bio-markers within the blood.
“Regular diagnostic testing facilitates early intervention to reverse or prevent disease, while enabling the individual’s health stats to be tracked to identify and monitor improvements.
“Access to regular and comprehensive testing gives individuals a clear and defined overview of their own health. It gives them the information necessary to make health and lifestyle choices that reduce the chances of experiencing future health problems.
“Randox believes that, in harnessing its achievements of the pandemic, we can help the shift away from the traditional model of sickness management to a new era of truly preventative healthcare. This will benefit individuals and society by improving patient outcomes and considerably reducing the burden on our vital and hard-pressed clinical services.”