A ‘cutting-edge pathology’ laboratory at Leeds’s St James’ University Hospital designed to serve patients across West Yorkshire has been officially opened by the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care, Will Quince.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says its new Centre for Laboratory Medicine ‘marks a significant milestone in regional healthcare’, as it is set to house pathology services from Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. In addition to Minister Quince, the opening event on 26 September attracted a number of VIP guests – including West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin – all of whom had the opportunity to tour the new facility. Adding a touch of educational value to the occasion, young scientists from Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School participated in pathology experiments alongside the Trust’s staff, as part of the project’s wider community engagement programme.
Guests also engaged with project staff and partners from BAM, Siemens Healthineers, and Clinisys, to gain insights into the benefits the facility promises to deliver to patients, healthcare professionals, and the wider community.
The Trust said: “This pioneering regional partnership, forged in collaboration with the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), will drive innovation in testing and diagnostics. Equipped with advanced technology and state-of-the-art equipment, the laboratory aims to deliver faster results for patients, irrespective of their geographical location.”
Health Minister Will Quince commented: “Backed by £35million of government funding, this new lab will look at more innovative ways to test and diagnose patients, and will be equipped with advanced technology and the latest equipment. Crucially, by consolidating current services into one place, it will streamline access to testing and improve working environments for staff.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This new centre firmly cements West Yorkshire as a global leader in health technology – it will fuel innovation in diagnostic testing, and deliver better outcomes for patients worldwide.”
BAM commenced construction of the Centre for Laboratory Medicine in April 2022. The new laboratory is a flagship project within the Leeds Teaching Hospital's ‘Building the Leeds Way’ capital investment and improvement programme. The laboratory will adopt a single, shared Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to enable electronic test requests, tracking, and results reporting, to clinical services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.
The Centre for Laboratory Medicine is set to become fully operational in 2024. Construction of a new Acute Hospital Laboratory at Leeds General Infirmary has also been completed, providing essential pathology testing facilities to support clinical services as the primary pathology services transition to the new St James's facility.
