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Hospital chiefs announce pathology plans

Chief executives of four south-west London hospital trusts have announced plans to develop a single pathology service located at St George's Hospital.

Health service commits to helping those with a learning disability Hospital chiefs announce pathology plans

In a joint statement, the chief executives of Croydon Health Services, Kingston Hospital, Epsom and St Helier's NHS Trusts and St George's Healthcare Trust, said the decision meant they could "develop and future proof our pathology services across south west London".

The decision to develop a new single pathology service was agreed at a Pathology Programme Board meeting on Thursday.

The recommendations will be presented to each of the Trust boards for approval in the coming weeks.

Patients should not experience a change in service and will continue to have their tests where they have them now- either at their local hospital or at their GP surgery, the board said.

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However, the plans mean the behind the scenes laboratory aspects of the service will run from a single 'hub' for the majority of pathology work.

There will be labs at each acute hospital site to manage each Trust's very urgent work and to support services such as A&E.

The central hub will be located at St George's Hospital, but the board said "it will not be "owned" by St George's, but by all four Trusts equally."

The Programme Board confirmed they are keen to include the Royal Marsden Hospital as a "strategic partner" in the development because the Hospital offers both training and opportunities for staff and delivers "a cutting-edge molecular pathology service."

The board added: "We would like to reiterate that decisions made by the Programme Board are recommendations to the Trust Boards, with a plan to take a full business case back to them for final sign of later on in the year.

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"At this stage, no final decisions have been made and all staff involved will be consulted on any proposed changes once the business case is complete."

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Comments (6)

20/05/12

Michael Pantlin says...

Remember the wisdom of the old adage "Don't put all your eggs into one basket". That guidance has not endured by chance. What happens when the hub goes down for some unforeseen event. Where's the resilience and future proofing then?

20/05/12

imalaydee says...

I agree with Michael, you only have to look at all these Hospitals with the Patient Records which get lost or damaged when the system goes down... still, it should make it easier to keep on top of all the Pathology tests needed for the people and prem. babies who will die getting to Epsom or Tooting, because they live in Carshalton and have to go past St. Helier in the ambulance because the A & E and Maternity no longer exists!!

20/05/12

Michael Pantlin says...

With the cuts also now at Kingston and Croydon Hospitals the BSBV Virus which attacks and kills off hospitals department by department is now rampant and reaching epidemic proportions. Closing departments does of course "future proof" them in a macabre way as they can be shut down only once. Will the vacant accommodation provide a way in for the privateers to promise us a decent service if we hand over lots or our personal cash if we have any?

21/05/12

David7 says...

Just to reiterate, many of the leading lights on the BSBV board have undisputably close links to St George’s, which appears to be suffering absolutely no sacrifices in this so-called review.

21/05/12

Michael Pantlin says...

Here it is folks. As the Dark Coalition Forces shut down our local hospitals piece by piece the privateers are crawling out of the woodwork. I've just received this email from USwitch that I had held in quite high regard:

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22/05/12

Michael Pantlin says...

In the St. Helier & Epsom NHS staff newsletter called "Steps" which is full of photos of the placed hatchet man CEO one of his many statements tells staff there are rumours going around about the hospital's future and some of these are "malicious". A few weeks back his Director of Communications had the effrontery to castigate the Sutton Guardian for its reports about the closure of the A&E and Maternity Departments and astoundingly to demand a front page apology or otherwise face a complaint to the Press Commission. With the recent daily press releases of pathology and childrens' services earmarked for the axe with them all being theoretically shoehorned into St. George's, Tooting as a quart into a pint pot readers will form their own opinion where the malice and malevolence lies. When the CEO who has put the staff who still have jobs through disgusting anxiety and demeaning apply for your own job interviews he said as his opening press release words to the effect that he wanted to create a hospital that would be fit for his own family - one it now seems with skeletal pathology and children's capability and zero Major A&E. His previous CV made his skill and experience set appear potentially ideal for a CaMoron privatisation. The expensive looking huge banner covering the front of the hospital announcing a notional £219 expenditure which seems to be morphing into funding for SW London rather than St. Helier appears to me to be a paracetamol to supress public disquiet. Actions speak far louder than words and the public are showing signs of taking interest and taking stock of the clandestine structural cuts as they are revealed.

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