Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has welcomed confirmation of £26 million in additional funding for the development of a new and improved purpose-built pathology laboratory building, following an announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care.
The investment will enable the trust to replace its ageing pathology accommodation with a modern environment designed to support safe, efficient and high-quality diagnostic services for patients across Stockport, the High Peak, and the wider area.
The new building on the Stepping Hill Hospital site will protect the vital services which clinicians rely on to diagnose patients and provide urgent care.
The funding is part of a new £1.5 billion package to support maintenance, safety and resilience projects across the NHS estate nationally, and is one of the top ten projects included in the announcement.
The new building will bring a number of improvements to the service, including:
- Improved support for timely diagnoses, including cancer pathways
- A safer, modern working environment for staff
- More efficient laboratory workflows and use of automation
- Greater resilience and capacity to meet increasing diagnostic demand
- Better integration of histopathology, blood sciences and other pathology services
- Modern infrastructure capable of accommodating future diagnostic technologies
- Improved opportunities for staff recruitment, retention, training and development
- A more sustainable and energy-efficient laboratory environment
- And a stronger platform for collaboration across Greater Manchester.
Over 10 million tests are carried out in Stockport NHS laboratories each year to help support the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions.
The building scheme has now been approved to proceed to detailed design. The project team will work with pathology staff, clinical services, estates specialists and other stakeholders to develop the plans and confirm the programme for delivery.
Jackie McShane, Chief Operating Officer for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said; “We are delighted at the announcement of this new investment for our pathology services.
Our current pathology service delivers 21st-century medical science from a building constructed for the needs of the previous century.
The new building will be a great step forward, helping us to provide improved support for timely diagnoses for conditions such as cancer, in an enhanced and more efficient environment.”
