Reconfiguration of pathology: in the vanguard of NHS change

Recently, there has been a huge amount of discussion about the reconfiguration of pathology, and some frustration about lack of progress towards Lord Carter’s vision for a more modern and efficient service. This was the subject of a debate held at the British Medical Association (BMA) in January, where an expert panel led by Health Service Journal (HSJ) editor Alastair McLellan explored how close we are to making pathology end-to-end automation a reality. The debate was sponsored by CitySprint Healthcare, a logistics company that has been helping NHS organisations across the country reconfigure pathology transport strategies.

Expert panel
The company’s healthcare director, Andrew Turner, explained why it decided to host the debate at this time. “We feel we’ve reached a critical point in the development of pathology services. Beyond the necessity to achieve financial savings, the introduction of pathology hubs and so-called ‘super labs’ will transform the way laboratory services work. However, we can only achieve this if the right technology and processes are put in place, from bleed to lab.”

Joining Alastair McLellan on the expert panel was Dr Rachael Liebmann (Royal College of Pathologists), Richard Dolby (Community Pathology Procurements: Midlands and East Strategic Projects Team), Les Martin (Cumbria and Lancashire Collaborative Pathology Commissioning), Geoff Searle (Integrated Pathology Partnerships), Dr Phil Koczan (GP and UCL Partners), Giuseppe – Gigi –
Minola (Inpeco) and Neville Desouza (Maudsley Hospital). Andrew Turner completed the panel, representing CitySprint Healthcare.