Integrated laboratory services will improve patient care

15 December 2014

Integrated laboratory services will improve patient care

The boards of Wairarapa, Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast District Health Boards (DHBs) have voted to have an integrated hospital and community laboratory service across the Greater Wellington Region.

This decision means there will be one management structure and process across the region. There will be no reduction in service or quality of services.

Laboratory services will continue to be located in the community and at the four hospital sites – Wairarapa, Hutt, Kenepuru and Wellington Hospitals. There will be no reduction in the number of community collection locations where patients go to have blood samples taken or drop samples off.

“The three boards believe there are significant benefits to integrating laboratory services across the three DHBs”, says Dr Virginia Hope, Board Chair of Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs.

“When someone is unwell their GP often has blood or specimen samples taken. If the patient then requires hospital treatment many of these tests are repeated because the hospital specialists can’t easily access the community laboratory results,” says Dr Hope.

“No one enjoys having blood taken, let alone having to have it done multiple times. We can avoid this unnecessary duplication and patient discomfort by having a completely joined up laboratory service.

“There are also benefits for health professionals. Instead of each laboratory service having their own way of doing things, from the forms doctors fill out to the time taken for getting test results back, there will be one consistent process. This also provides us with an ability to upgrade laboratories and equipment in the region.

“Also by not needlessly repeating tests and increasing efficiency, the three DHBs will all save money which will be reinvested into front line health services.

Dr Derek Milne, Chair of Wairarapa DHB said laboratory services are already partially joined up across the region.

“Wairarapa DHB has had an outsourced integrated hospital and community laboratory service for many years and this has worked well. There is a shared hospital laboratory service across Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs,” says Dr Milne.

“The next step is for the boards to consider the proposals and select the preferred provider.

“The impact on current staff and services will be known once the boards make these decisions. We have made it clear that we expect as many DHB roles as possible to be retained.

“Engagement with staff and referrers will continue throughout the process,” says Dr Milne.

The new integrated laboratory service is expected to commence 1 November 2015.

A Request for Proposals was issued earlier in the year, and the proposals received have been extensively analysed and considered by a wide range of people, including GPs and hospital specialists.

ENDS

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