Plan for Lancashire pathology 'super lab' hub in Samlesbury is paused amid staff discontent

By Paul Faulkner
Published 7th Apr 2022, 09:20 BST
Updated 7th Apr 2022, 12:13 BST
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Plans to analyse all of Lancashire and South Cumbria’s non-urgent blood, urine and other pathology samples on a single site in South Ribble have been put on hold, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

A long-running project to create a so-called “pathology hub” for the region would have seen routine testing of a range of specimens requested by GPs and outpatient departments moved from seven individual hospitals across the patch to a new facility in Samlesbury.

However, NHS bosses have now decided to “pause” any further work on developing the laboratory in order to ensure that they have “fully engaged” with staff working in the existing service about the proposed change.

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The LDRS understands that the legal process to transfer workers from their existing employers to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – which runs the Royal Preston Hospital and is set to host the hub – has also been halted and will not now happen as planned on 1st July.

Urgent blood tests would still be analysed at hospital sites under the plans - but routine work would be carried out at a base in SamlesburyUrgent blood tests would still be analysed at hospital sites under the plans - but routine work would be carried out at a base in Samlesbury
Urgent blood tests would still be analysed at hospital sites under the plans - but routine work would be carried out at a base in Samlesbury
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The £31m overhaul was conceived more than five years ago and was intended to save £11m per year compared to the current system. The boss of the programme says that the four Lancashire NHS trusts involved – Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, East Lancashire Hospitals and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay – remain committed to it.

However, the move has been opposed throughout by the Unite union, which has previously raised concern over the length of time it could take to ferry samples from some of the farthest reaches of the region to a new centralised base.

Keith Huston, regional officer for Unite, welcomed the planned review – but said that NHS leaders must abandon their apparent belief that building a single super lab is the only option to modernise the service.