Review of pathology services published - 2 August 2006

Health Minister Lord Warner has set out plans to reform pathology services, making them faster, more efficient and more responsive.

Pilot projects will be set up to implement the recommendations in Lord Carter of Coles’ Report of the Review of NHS Pathology Services in England. Pathology services mainly cover blood tests, but also include taking other specimens from patients – such as tissue samples – and post mortem examinations.

An estimated 70 per cent of all diagnoses involve a pathology investigation and demand has been rising by 10 per cent each year. Overall, pathology services cost the NHS around £2.5 billion a year.

Lord Carter's review acknowledged the quality of current pathology services, but found they had become fragmented due to the different models of service delivery in use, from small in-house laboratories to larger networks. The recommendations in his report include:

• to identify a new model for commissioning and organising pathology services which offers increased quality to patients and reduces NHS costs
• to improve the IT infrastructure and communications within pathology
• reform of the pathology workforce and more stringent education and training requirements.

Lord Warner has allocated £1 million in funding to test these recommendations in 12 pilot schemes operating from January 2007, overseen by Lord Carter. Once the pilots have been evaluated, and following full consultation with staff and other parties, the reforms will be rolled out across the country from autumn 2007.

Lord Warner said: "Pathology is a vital service for patients. The review panel has found much good work already underway. But pathology can’t stand still. The way we deliver healthcare is changing and I expect major changes to the way we deliver pathology services in the future to support that.”

Click here to read the review