Recognising the Lifesaving Research of the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian

That the Parliament recognises the work of Professor Ahsan Akram, Dr. Qiang Wang, Dr. David Dorward, Dr. Zhenya Zang, Dr. Sophie Ihuoma and all members of their team across the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian in developing a faster, more affordable method of identifying key genetic changes in lung cancer using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM); acknowledges what it sees as the importance of the funding provided by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Pathological Society in making this achievement possible; further acknowledges that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and that earlier diagnosis is vital to improving patient outcomes; welcomes the development of a new testing approach that could identify patients eligible for targeted treatments more quickly while reducing reliance on slower, more expensive laboratory testing; understands that the technique also preserves valuable biopsy tissue for further analysis, helping to ease growing pressures on diagnostic services as more cancers are detected through screening programmes; believes that this innovation has the potential to shorten diagnosis times, improve survival rates, reduce pressure on NHS diagnostic pathways and deliver long-term savings through earlier intervention; further believes that Scotland has an opportunity to lead in life-saving medical innovation by supporting the translation of world-leading research into clinical practice, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to recognise the importance of this work, support its continued research and evaluation, and work with NHS Scotland and partners to explore, subject to successful validation and regulatory approval, its adoption to improve patient care, save lives and deliver better value for public money.