Nicholas Soames MP visited Roche Diagnostics, one of Sussex’s biggest employers, on Friday. The visit was Mr Soames’s third to the Roche UK headquarters in Burgess Hill and it was a pre-curser to a programme of relationship-building activities with the new coalition Government.

During the visit Mr Soames and the management of Roche discussed a number of health issues in which Roche has specific interest and involvement as a world leader in in-vitro diagnostics. Topics included cancer screening, the national introduction of HPV testing (human papilloma virus, which can lead to cervical cancer) plus a showcasing of the latest innovations in diabetes care. The meeting also provided the opportunity for Roche to share with Mr Soames its past and future planned activities with the new Government and the Department of Health.

Jan van den Boer, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics said: “This is Mr Soames’s third visit to Roche Diagnostics. We are delighted that he is such a supporter of our business which helps raise our profile here in Sussex. We intend to build on this relationship for further discussions with Ministers from the Departments of Health and Business Innovation on essential diagnostics issues.”

Nicholas Soames MP said of his visit to Roche: “Roche is a clear leader in the field of diagnostics. I’m delighted to see the positive impact it is having on the lives of patients and those who care for them. Keeping an open dialogue with leading Sussex companies is essential to me and Roche has really excelled as a model local business in terms of its contribution to innovations in healthcare.”

As a leader in in-vitro diagnostics, Roche is at the forefront of tissue based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche aims to provide medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. The Burgess Hill UK Diagnostics headquarters has over 500 employees and the Roche Group has 80,000 employees worldwide.