An initial plan has been put together to develop a business case that may lead to BHRUT’s pathology services joining the ESEL Pathology Partnership, which was formed in May 2021 and brought together the pathology services of three London NHS Trusts – Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton Healthcare and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
Hosted by Barts Health, ESEL is one of the largest pathology providers in the NHS, delivering vital pathology services to thousands of people.
NHS London have asked that these organisations all work closely together to “develop a plan to create a networked solution for pathology services at BHRUT” and have said that the solution should “offer improvements to the sustainability and quality of services delivered for the population of east London, as well as representing best use of available resources, irrespective of current network membership”.
As a first step, NELICS commissioned Lifecycle, a specialist pathology consultancy firm, to develop a high-level plan. This was done in consultation with BHRUT, ESEL and NELICS and sets out steps to develop an outline business case (OBC) and full business case (FBC).
As these discussions are at an early stage and given the complex work of finding the best solution for all involved – from staff to the residents we collectively serve – it will take time to complete the OBC and FBC, which will need to be approved by the boards of all organisations involved and NHS England. We will keep colleagues updated as these discussions and plans progress.
There is a shared consensus that any closer working between ESEL and BHRUT’s pathology department must not lead to a reduction in the quality of services offered by either organisation. And that any expanded network needs to attract and retain a high calibre workforce and support a drive to reduce health inequalities.
It is also recognised that any future wider pathology network meets not only current needs, but also looks to the future requirements of the populations that we service.
Closer collaboration between pathology services being discussed
A national drive for all pathology services to be part of a network has prompted NHS England and NHS London to ask colleagues at the East and South East London Pathology Partnership (ESEL), Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust (BHRUT) and the north east London integrated care system (NELICS) to work closely together on a long-term plan to expand the existing pathology network to include BHRUT.
An initial plan has been put together to develop a business case that may lead to BHRUT’s pathology services joining the ESEL Pathology Partnership, which was formed in May 2021 and brought together the pathology services of three London NHS Trusts – Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton Healthcare and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
Hosted by Barts Health, ESEL is one of the largest pathology providers in the NHS, delivering vital pathology services to thousands of people.
NHS London have asked that these organisations all work closely together to “develop a plan to create a networked solution for pathology services at BHRUT” and have said that the solution should “offer improvements to the sustainability and quality of services delivered for the population of east London, as well as representing best use of available resources, irrespective of current network membership”.
As a first step, NELICS commissioned Lifecycle, a specialist pathology consultancy firm, to develop a high-level plan. This was done in consultation with BHRUT, ESEL and NELICS and sets out steps to develop an outline business case (OBC) and full business case (FBC).
As these discussions are at an early stage and given the complex work of finding the best solution for all involved – from staff to the residents we collectively serve – it will take time to complete the OBC and FBC, which will need to be approved by the boards of all organisations involved and NHS England. We will keep colleagues updated as these discussions and plans progress.
There is a shared consensus that any closer working between ESEL and BHRUT’s pathology department must not lead to a reduction in the quality of services offered by either organisation. And that any expanded network needs to attract and retain a high calibre workforce and support a drive to reduce health inequalities.
It is also recognised that any future wider pathology network meets not only current needs, but also looks to the future requirements of the populations that we service.
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