Pathology: a key element in UK healthcare
Pathology is a key element of healthcare. As a discipline it represents only around 3% of all healthcare expenditure, but is the basis of over 70% of all patient care decisions. iPP was formed as a joint venture company by Labco and Sodexo to enable the NHS and independent hospitals in the UK to move into a new era of pathology by taking full advantage of new technology and methods that improve the quality and cost efficiency of these critical services.
Driving forces
- An increasing focus on early detection and prevention of chronic and severe disorders leads to a more intensive use of diagnostic technologies
- Diagnostic testing and screening services are ordered at approximately 80% of doctor visits
- Clinicians have rapidly adopted advances in diagnostics (laboratory testing and imaging)
- Increasing pressure to achieve cost reductions in technical areas such as laboratory medicine and radiology.
- Working with organisations that specialise in providing clinical support functions is proven as being effective in providing better pathology services
- Health authorities are imposing quality accreditation for medical service providers
- Pathology services have been identified as one of the top three cost saving initiatives by every Strategic Health Authority in England. Primary Care commissioners are being charged with managing the market and with getting 'value for money'
- A shortage of Healthcare Scientists and Clinical Pathologists is forecast
- Changes in the provision and funding of public sector Pathology is inevitable. In the current economic climate funding for pathology is unlikely to increase at the same rate as demand.
Lord Carter’s Independent Review of NHS Pathology and the Department of Health agree that change and consolidation is overdue; and that the NHS could extract significant financial return through the formation of collaborative partnerships with the private sector.
Lord Carter’s review estimates that £500m (from a total spend of £2.5 billion) could be saved on an annual basis through new approaches to the delivery of pathology services.