Public spending watchdog criticises pathology services

The Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee has criticised hospital laboratory services in Northern Ireland for providing “poor value for money”.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) who launched their report on pathology services highlighted a number of areas, specifically staff shortages that in their opinion needed immediate redress.

The report shows that the service, which costs the taxpayer £54 million annually, fell short of consultant posts needed to operate an efficient and effective service in pathology in Northern Ireland.

It expressed concern that 10 of the 78 consultant pathologist posts have not been filled and said it was inconceivable that the service was able to operate at the required level of effectiveness.

PAC chairman Billy Bell said: “It is inconceivable that the pathology laboratory service is able to operate to the required level of efficiency and effectiveness with understaffing at consultancy level approaching 13 per cent.

Mr Bell was speaking on Tuesday March 5 at the launch of the PAC’s report ‘Pathology Laboratories in Northern Ireland’ at parliament buildings, Stormont.

The committee has also called for rationalisation of the pathology laboratory services.

It said the need for rationalisation had been accepted as far back as 1983 - but little progress was made until the late 1990s.

In 1983, a review recommended there should be just six main labs. At the moment there are 14.

The report also highlights the inconsistencies in the pricing of pregnancy tests. Mr Bell said: “It cannot be acceptable that pregnancy tests are priced at £14.20 in one place and £2.05 in another.

“It is difficult to resist the conclusion that the snail's pace on improvement of the structure for the rationalisation of pathology services, reflects a long-standing weakness in the department's pursuit of value for money on behalf of the tax-payer.

“This needs to change dramatically and the department needs to raise its game substantially if the public is to have confidence that the extra resources which they are being asked to provide are being effectively used.”

(AMcE)