Lancashire priority pathology care '˜unchanged'

Lancashire and South Cumbria is set for a £31 million funding boost to create a single pathology diagnostic service at Lancaster University, set up between Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, East Lancashire Hospitals and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals.

And the new centre will see no change to ‘urgent’ services – which require results within four hours – at trusts.

Programme Director of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Pathology Partnership, Jean Wright, said “the preferred option” would “retain urgent pathology services in every trust while centralising non-urgent analysis on the Lancaster University Health Innovation Campus”.

Preston MP Sir Mark Hendrick previously raised concerns over the plans and potential transportation of blood bank units to Lancaster, highlighting worries over blood samples turning bad if caught up in transport delays.

Ms Wright said: “Blood transfusion services is an urgent service and as such will remain located on the individual acute hospital sites and therefore not affected by any travel plans.”

When asked about staff relocation, Ms Wright said: “We will be working closely with staff, staff representatives and trade unions as proposals are developed.”