Choosing your pathology partner: why wide experience counts

Pathology laboratories in England provide a comprehensive range of services to NHS trusts and local primary care establishments, with in excess of 250 NHS hospitals providing laboratory services to patients all day, every day. In 2006, as part of the NHS Modernisation Programme, Lord Carter was asked by the Labour government to carry out a thorough and systematic evaluation of pathology and laboratory medicine services in England. Now, Roche has responded and can offer a managed laboratory service partnership that can help laboratories deliver the best possible service.

There has never been a more challenging environment than today’s ever-changing, commission-led NHS. The Carter review defined the scope of laboratories in England, showing them as the backbone to the hospital. It has been estimated that 70–80%of all healthcare diagnoses and decisions on treatment are directly influenced by pathology laboratory test results. The necessity and importance of the services delivered by the laboratories is clear, but the costs of these services were rising alarmingly. A managed laboratory service (MLS) partnership can improve efficiency, contain costs and provide flexibility for the future. However, it is essential to choose an experienced managed laboratory partner because experience really can make all the difference.

As the leading company in the UK to offer laboratory-specific managed services, Roche is at the forefront of delivering innovative managed laboratory service solutions to the NHS. With over 100 managed laboratory service sites and management of in excess of 200 suppliers across 25,000 product lines, Roche has more experience than any other organisation at delivering the complex requirements of pathology laboratories and point-of-care testing services, cost effectively and with flexibility. Not every pathology managed service agreement is the same; as Roche customers know, it is a business partnership that evolves through shared objectives and where vision goes beyond the black and white of the contract.