Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust finds necessary pathology expertise through remote locum service
PathLore, a specialist pathology provider and subsidiary of Medical Solutions, has entered into a contract to provide the Swindon and Malborough NHS Trust with remote locum services.
The contract provides the Trust with rapid and flexible access to PathLore's network of specialist consultants and has initially focused on processing the Trust's backlog of samples.
By simply contacting PathLore, a medical courier service transports the specimens for diagnosis and then returns all materials to the Trust, along with the consultant's report. Frank Bradley, head biomedical scientist, remarked upon the scheme: "The retirement of two consultant pathologists and the problems of recruitment has had a critical effect on our ability to provide the Trust with an efficient service, so a rapid and cost effective solution has to be found that doesn't shift the problem or reduce the quality of diagnosis demanded".
"PathLore has provided a flexible and reliable service that isn't just a temporary measure, but builds upon our skill base and gives us the opportunity to work alongside recognised experts in the field." Ian Ellis, PathLore's medical director, commented, "Since Spring 2001, PathLore has built an effective pathology services network, integrating a medical courier service and diagnosis and reporting system that is both cost effective and quality assured.
As well as these quantifiable benefits several other advantages have arisen from our relationship with NHS Trusts, such as the rapport that the clinicians have built with the consultants.
This regular contact brings an important confidence in diagnosis and promotes knowledge transfer." PathLore provides a similar service to many other NHS Trusts together with a range of standard and bespoke pathology services, run from state of the art reference laboratory facilities in Nottingham, UK.
