Plans To Enhance Pathology Services, UK

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 25 Dec 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Transforming NHS pathology services will improve quality, safety and efficiency in diagnostic tests, according to a two-year review into NHS Pathology Services published recently.

The Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services, which was undertaken by Lord Carter of Coles, looked at making services more responsive to patients' needs and highlights the potential for substantial annual savings.

Pathology services are vital, and play a key role in around 70 per cent of decisions on diagnosis and treatment. This includes blood tests for diabetes, biopsies to diagnose cancer, and tests for infections, such as tuberculosis. The growing use of genetics for preventative medicine and more personalised care is likely to increase the need for pathology services.

The Independent Review concluded that there is a strong case for transforming pathology.

Recommendations include:

- Developing pathology networks with a single integrated management structure;
- Improving test turnaround times;
- Rapid adoption of new technology and approaches to delivering; services;
- Enhancing IT connectivity; and
- Centralising non-urgent and specialist work in accredited core laboratories.

Responding to the Review's findings, the Department of Health Pathology Clinical Lead Dr Ian Barnes said:

"I am very grateful to Lord Carter and his panel for this thorough and comprehensive report.

"The review has found much good work already underway. Pathology is a vital service for patients and plays a key role in around 70 per cent of decisions on diagnosis and treatment. There is room for improvement and the Review has highlighted key areas for us to take forward. We have examined the review's recommendations in detail and now begun the process to determine how services can be enhanced."

Lord Carter of Coles said:

"The recommendations in this report will improve quality and safety standards for the public. I am grateful to the many people - pathologists, managers and others - who guided us to our conclusions. I am pleased that the Department has accepted our recommendations and shall take a keen interest in the implementation process as it proceeds."

Professor Peter Furness, President of the Royal College of Pathologists said: "The Royal College of Pathologists welcomes Lord Carter's report. We particularly appreciate the recommendations in relation to quality, the development of consolidated networks, and the need for an accreditation process that covers the diagnostic process from the decision to test to the delivery and interpretation of the results. We agree with the need for modernisation and improved efficiency. We share Lord Carter's concerns achieving this aims will not be easy, but we are committed to assist."

An impact assessment on the review's recommendations will report in summer 2009. This process will be informed by three Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) who will look at the practical implications of the recommendations.

Note

A copy of the Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services report can be accessed here Lord Carter, chair of the Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services, delivered his final report to Ministers in May 2008. This is now published, together with an initial response to the Review's recommendations. An impact assessment will be published for consultation next year.

The Independent Review was set up in September 2005, and its first report was published in August 2006. It sets out the Review Panel's findings and conclusions, and makes wide ranging recommendations for the development and improvement of pathology services. The Department of Health accepted the Review Panel's proposal that their findings should be tested and refined through a nationwide programme of twelve demonstration sites, in partnership with the NHS. This second phase of the Review's work focussed on the collection, analysis and modelling of robust, comparable cost and activity data, to provide an evidence base for the Review's final report and recommendations.

The three SHAs that will take forward the recommendations are South East Coast, Yorkshire and Humberside and East of England SHAs.

Department of Health, UK