Construction of a new, state-of-the-art regional pathology laboratory at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been completed.

Named the Centre for Laboratory Medicine, the facility will help to transform diagnostic services and testing right across West Yorkshire.

It will also become home to some pathology services from both CHFT and Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust as part of a wider regional pathology services transformation programme.

This regional partnership, formed through a collaboration with the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), will support the delivery of innovative testing and diagnostics, using advanced equipment and new technologies to generate faster results for patients no matter where they live.

Bringing these vital pathology services together will enable routine and direct access testing from fewer sites and will create better working environments for staff and will make the continuity and transfer of care easier across the region.

Pathology General Manager, Sarah Ramsden, said: “We are delighted that the construction of these state-of-the-art facilities has been completed. We look forward to developing our services in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals and The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust for the benefit of our colleagues and our patients.”

Dame Linda Pollard, Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I am incredibly proud to see that this fantastic new facility has been finished. Pathology plays a crucial role in the delivery of frontline care and I am excited to see how, together with our colleagues in Calderdale and Mid Yorkshire, we can really drive innovative diagnostic testing across West Yorkshire.

The building will become fully operational in 2024 following the installation of new equipment and technology and plans for an official opening are being made for autumn.