Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and South West London Pathology are announcing the formation of a new pathology partnership for south west London and beyond. The partnership, which officially came into place on 1 May 2021, will improve pathology services across the four hospitals that make up the partnership (Croydon, Epsom and St Helier, Kingston and St George’s) for the benefit of GPs and, most importantly, patients.
By coordinating pathology services across the four trusts, the partnership will deliver greater efficiency, productivity and value for money. The size of the network will mean that more can be invested in specialist tests and equipment, benefitting patient services across the region.
The network will be joined together by a single laboratory information system, which will make ordering tests a more seamless and straight-forward process for clinicians and GPs. It will also facilitate the availability of electronic results across the board.
Epsom and St Helier Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles says:
“Pathology staff across the region work incredibly hard – often behind the scenes – to ensure that vital tests can be undertaken and results are available in a timely manner to help healthcare workers look after their patients. Joining the partnership across south west London will only strengthen our teams and bring further improvements to the service.”
Jacqueline Totterdell, Chief Executive at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, says:
“I’m delighted to welcome Epsom and St Helier into the partnership. This expansion will enable us to enhance the service we provide to our patients and communities across the sector through the delivery of effective pathology support and clinical expertise.”
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust Chief Executive Matthew Kershaw says:
“The launch of this integrated pathology service across all four acute hospitals is the latest in a number of significant improvements in the way we provide care for our patients. Thanks to continued expansion of our partnership working across south west London, this service will allow us to offer specialist testing for patients and streamline processes for our clinicians, making it even easier for our teams to provide the best possible care for the people of Croydon.”
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Jo Farrar says,
“This is an exciting time for pathology services in south west London and I am delighted to be part of the expanded partnership and to welcome our colleagues from Epsom and St Helier Hospitals. The new partnership will mean that we can offer an even greater range of services to support our patients and provide an outstanding platform to help our teams deliver the best care possible.”
South West London Pathology Managing Director Simon Brewer says:
“The formation of the new partnership is a very exciting development for healthcare services in south west London. The partnership will promote innovation in the delivery of pathology services and facilitate the development clinical networks and pathways. We are looking forward to working with our pathology colleagues from Epsom and St Helier Hospitals and being to provide even better services to healthcare professionals and patients.”