by Virginia Spiegler, Kent Business School
Introduction: Lessons from a Fragile Supply Network
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of diagnostic supply chains to global disruptions. Shortages of swabs, reagents, and test kits severely affected healthcare delivery and public health responses. As demand surged, health systems dependent on complex, single-use supply chain models proved unprepared. Embracing circularity can enhance resilience by localising production, reducing reliance on global imports, and providing backup options during crises. The lesson is clear: diagnostic supply chains must be not only efficient, but also resilient and designed for a circular future.
Challenges of Combining Resilience and Circularity
While circularity (reuse, refurbishment, and recycling) and resilience (the ability to maintain continuity through risk anticipation, responsiveness, recovery, adaptability, and transformation) share the common goal of creating more sustainable systems, their integration also introduces additional complexity. Existing healthcare regulations often hinder reuse, requiring updates and collaboration with infection control experts. Financial incentives currently favour disposables, making circular business models harder to adopt. Reverse logistics (collecting used test kits, cartridges, or instruments from healthcare sites, then cleaning, sterilising, and redistributing them) demand new systems and partnerships. Scaling circular solutions requires investment in facilities, staff training, and inventory management.
To support this transition, we also need robust tools for modelling and simulating closed-loop diagnostic supply chains, to test how they perform under pressure, identify bottlenecks, and assess cost, safety, resilience, and carbon impacts. Systems thinking modelling can help stakeholders design smarter, more resilient networks before committing major resources.
Despite these hurdles, the pandemic showed that circular approaches can enhance resilience, with hospitals successfully reusing critical supplies. With proactive planning and collaboration, circularity can support continuity of care and strengthen supply chains against future disruptions.
What Does a Resilient Circular Supply Chain Look Like?
A resilient circular supply chain for diagnostics includes:
- Reuse and refurbishment of devices and equipment, extending product life and reducing reliance on new production.
- Reverse logistics systems to collect, sterilise, and redistribute used materials like cartridges or test kits.
- Recycling and material recovery to reclaim plastics and metals from spent diagnostics for use in local manufacturing.
- Localisation of production and reprocessing to reduce dependence on global supply routes and improve responsiveness.
These strategies reduce waste and emissions while improving supply continuity.
A UK Opportunity – and Responsibility
The UK has an opportunity to lead. The NHS’s Design for Life roadmap promotes medical technologies that are designed to be reused, remanufactured, or recycled. Early NHS pilots in reusable surgical textiles and remanufactured equipment show how circular solutions can reduce costs, cut carbon, and secure essential supplies.
But scaling these solutions requires more than technical innovation. It calls for strengthened supply chain capabilities and new procurement models. The UK is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation, leveraging its centralised healthcare system and net-zero commitments.
A Call to Collaborate
Transitioning to circular and resilient diagnostic supply chains requires collaboration across research, industry, and healthcare practice. We invite:
- Diagnostic manufacturers exploring long-life design or take-back models
- Logistics and reprocessing providers enabling reverse flows
- NHS trusts piloting circular solutions or facing supply challenges
- Researchers and policymakers shaping resilient healthcare systems
Let’s ensure the diagnostics sector is not only sustainable, but ready for whatever comes next!
To explore opportunities for partnership, please contact v.l.spiegler@kent.ac.uk