A £2.4 million investment in state-of-the-art pathology automation solutions is helping to deliver improved care for millions of patients across the UK. SYNLAB has installed world-leading laboratory equipment at three of its NHS partnerships, which combined serve more than four million people.
Plans are also in place for major development into a fourth NHS partnership, following the implementation of a new 24/7 automated chemistry and immunoassay track line and a fully automated system to deliver faster testing turnaround times. Synnovis was formed in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts to deliver and transform NHS pathology services across South East London.
The modernisation is part of SYNLAB’s long-term relationship with NHS trusts across the country, where it has benefited thousands of clinicians, scientists and patients by transforming and delivering pathology services to hospitals, GP practices, community services and other healthcare organisations.
Its latest investment includes £1.2 million for Pathology First, a partnership between SYNLAB and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which has seen its specialist biomedical scientists become the first in the country to be able to read microbiology plates remotely, so that patients can access care and treatment more quickly. Microbiologists can now review samples within NHS laboratories from wherever they are in the UK, while those working from home can read plates digitally and report back to laboratory-based colleagues.
A transformation at the Christie Pathology Partnership – a SYNLAB partnership with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester – has seen the installation of state-of-the-art analysers, which process samples more quickly and accurately. The upgrade will enable much greater efficiency in day-to-day laboratory sample workflow, freeing up resources that can be reinvested in optimising laboratory performance.
Stephen Tuddenham, Managing Director for Hospitals at SYNLAB UK & Ireland, said: “The modernisations we are making across our NHS partnerships are revolutionising the way services are delivered for NHS clinicians. Our SYNLAB/NHS partnerships bring the clinical expertise from the NHS together with scientific and transformational expertise from SYNLAB. We are very proud of our investment in NHS services, enabling modern, state-of-the-art pathology testing and diagnostics which are fit for the future, and which benefit millions of patients across the UK.”
Also receiving major financial injections is Southwest Pathology Services, a partnership between SYNLAB, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. As a result of year-on-year increased clinical demand for haematology and HbA1c tests, an automated haematology system was implemented in the hub laboratory at Southwest Pathology Services, helping to increase efficiencies in sample sorting, testing, preparation and filing.