Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services has been given the go-ahead to run one of the new NHS lighthouse laboratories.
It will form part of NHS Test and Trace, joining Britain’s largest network of diagnostic testing facilities increasing Coronavirus testing capacity by tens of thousands.
The new laboratory at Bracknell Healthspace, Brants Bridge, Berkshire, will use the CliniSys WinPath Enterprise laboratory information system to manage up to 40,000 tests per day when running at full capacity.
The pathology network, which is one of the largest and longest-running shared pathology services in the country, was already working in partnership with CliniSys to deploy the latest version of WinPath Enterprise across its five laboratory sites.
The implementation of the same LIMS at the lighthouse lab will help to make sure that it can play a key role in tackling COVID-19, by creating additional capacity for the NHS Test and Trace programme.
Nic Newman, managing director of the Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Service, said: “We are very pleased to have been chosen as a new site for a lighthouse laboratory and to be playing a key role in the work to tackle this pandemic.
“We already have an excellent partnership with CliniSys, who have really stepped up to make sure that we can use the very latest IT systems at the lab, in order to run it as efficiently as possible.
“Being able to use WinPath Enterprise will mean that we can run a high-quality testing service at pace, so we can help everybody to do their part to keep the pandemic under control this winter.”
Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services is a collaboration between Frimley Health, Royal Berkshire, Royal Surrey and Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts. It was set up in 1998 to deliver a laboratory service for its area and is now one of the largest pathology networks in the country.
The government announced on 17 September that it is setting up additional NHS lighthouse laboratories to create extra testing capacity to support NHS Test and Trace.
Simon Hurst, CliniSys chief commercial officer, said: “We were already working in partnership with Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Service, so when they asked if we could help, there was no question about our willingness to do so.
“The immediate support that we have been able to provide will help to make sure that this project delivers for the NHS Test and Trace programme – and for the country’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
