New state-of-the-art pathology lab opened at St Helier hospital
A new state-of-the-art blood testing laboratory, capable of running 100,000 tests a day, was officially opened at St Helier hospital yesterday.
Patients from across south west London will now get quicker results from common and specialist blood tests. The open plan laboratory has the most up-to-date technology, which will allow more patient samples to be tested and the results to be available more quickly. This will lead to swifter decisions about patient care and support better outcomes for the hospital’s many patients.
The new laboratory will test everything from urgent A&E samples to outpatient and GP samples. The system can automatically prioritise work so that the most urgent samples are tested first.
To construct the new laboratory, 23 rooms were combined together to create a fresh, open space. The equipment in the laboratory is made up of cutting-edge diagnostic technologies from healthcare pharmaceuticals giant Abbot, working in partnership with South West London Pathology to create the new laboratory.
Jacqueline Totterdell, Group Chief Executive for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier said:
“Patients will benefit from this new laboratory by getting quicker results from common and specialised blood tests. This will allow our clinicians to make more prompt and accurate decisions about patient care.
“Pathology staff are often the unsung heroes of healthcare, working behind the scenes to support clinicians in diagnosing conditions and supporting ongoing patient care, so it has been fantastic to celebrate with them today and to recognise the impact their work has on the services we deliver.”
