Laboratory services to join up

Wairarapa, Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast district health board members this month voted to integrate hospital and community lab services.

A decision has been made to join up the region's laboratory services under one provider, in an effort to save money and reduce needless testing.

This month, Wairarapa, Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast district health board members voted to integrate hospital and community lab services.

This means there will be one management structure and process across the region.

There will be no reduction in service or quality of services, says the press release announcing the decision, issued yesterday .

Lab services will continue to be located in the community and at the four hospital site - Wairarapa, Hutt, Kenepuru and Wellington.

Derek Milne, Wairarapa DHB chairman, said services were already partially joined up across the region.

"Wairarapa DHB has had an outsourced integrated hospital and community laboratory service for many years and this has worked well.

"There is a shared hospital laboratory service across Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs."

He said the next step was for the boards to consider the proposals and select a preferred provider.

"The impact on current staff and services will be known once the boards make these decisions. We have made it clear that we expect as many DHB roles as possible to be retained," Mr Milne said.

Virginia Hope, chairwoman of Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs, said the boards believed there would be significant benefits with one provider.

"When someone is unwell, their GP often has blood or specimen samples taken.

"If the patient then requires hospital treatment, many of these tests are repeated because the hospital specialists can't easily access the community laboratory results."

She said a combined lab service would avoid unnecessary duplication and patient discomfort. It would also benefit health workers by having one consistent process.

The new service is expected to start November 2015.