This week the TV news cameras descended on HRI following the announcement that West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership will receive £12m for a state-of-the-art pathology system across the patch.

Gavin Boyd is the clinical lead for pathology in the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts so when the national announcement was made he was in demand. He hailed it a fab day for pathology.

The money - announced on Monday - will  be used to enable a single, system wide approach for pathology across West Yorkshire and Harrogate acute hospitals:

·       Airedale District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

·       Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

·       Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

·       Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust

·       Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

·       Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Once in place the system will mean test requests can be ordered, tracked and results reported electronically to clinical services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.  All will have equal access to patient information, regardless of where the hospital is based.

Duplications in test requests will also be reduced as it will be possible to check whether a patient has already received a test prior to requesting.  A single pathology service will mean testing processes and systems will also be standardised across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

Martin Barkley, CEO for Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and CEO Lead for Pathology Services for West Yorkshire Association Acute Trusts (hospitals working together) said: ‘Our aim is simple – we want to place the patient at the centre of everything we do, by providing an efficient pathology service to GPs and our hospital colleagues.   Pathology services in West Yorkshire and Harrogate have been working together for some time.  In January 2019 we agreed to establish a single pathology network for the area and to deliver a single LIMS.  We’re delighted to have received this funding. It reflects our collective priorities to embrace new technology whilst making the most of our staffs’ expertise and skills’.

You can find out more about the work of West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership at www.wyhpartnership.co.uk