News / Pathology restructure to save £200m

A reorganisation of hospital pathology services into 29 networks is expected to save at least £200m by 2020/21, NHS Improvement said.

The restructuring, into a hub and spoke model, will improve efficiency, enhance pathology careers and provide faster, more advanced and accurate results, said NHS Improvement. It is expected to take three years.

Pathology services are provided in 105 hospitals in England, undertaking 1.2 billion tests a year at a cost of £2.2bn. Reviews including the Carter review of productivity and efficiency, have identified unwarranted variation in productivity and cost in pathology services.

While high-volume and more complex tests will be carried out in the new hubs, hospitals will continue to have their own on-site essential pathology services. NHS Improvement said it may also establish cross network arrangements for advanced tests that use genetic or molecular techniques.

Professor Tim Evans, national director for clinical productivity, said there was an urgent need to bring the running of pathology into the 21st century. ‘By bringing these services into larger, more efficient networks, patients will have better access to innovative services, and receive test results quicker.  

A letter to trusts from NHS Improvement operational productivity director Jeremy Marlow and Professor Evans acknowledged that capital and change management capacity will be ‘important enablers’. ‘Trusts should prioritise resources already available to them to support delivery of network formation and service consolidation as an investment in recurrent benefits for patients and the NHS’s finances,’ it said.