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01/10/2021
Major Investment To Improve Clinical Diagnostic Services
The Health Minister Robin Swann has announced a £40 million investment to "significantly improve" the delivery of clinical diagnostic services for key areas of healthcare.
Health and Social Care (HSC) pathology services perform around 40m diagnostic tests in Northern Ireland each year, the results of which inform over 80% of all healthcare diagnostic and therapeutic decisions for patients.
Announcing the new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Minister Swann said: "A world class digital healthcare service is at the heart of our future healthcare needs, and the launch of LIMS is a shining example of transformation being delivered. LIMS is a modern and improved digital e-health solution, the first of its kind in the UK that will future-proof HSC pathology services and boost Northern Ireland's regional diagnostic capabilities, across cancer care, blood services and COVID-19.
"The £40m investment in the LIMS system, using software from CliniSys, supports the building of a new, tailored platform. It will significantly enhance standardisation of pathology services across Northern Ireland resulting in better quality of care for every patient and will support all of our healthcare needs by providing 24/7 testing support to hospitals and GPs.
"I'm very proud of the hard work of HSC laboratory staff, a workforce of around 1,100 people who are often unseen but whose work is so critical to the majority of diagnostic and clinical pathways, even more so during the pandemic. COVID-19 has placed unprecedented demands on our pathology services and heightened the need for a modernised service which this investment provides."
Welcoming the announcement, Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said: "I welcome this key investment to move our health service into the future. It is entirely in line with the transformation as envisaged by the Bengoa panel.
"As Chair of the Assembly's All-Party Group on Cancer, this will go at least some way to addressing widespread concerns about the backlog in diagnosis and treatment.
"I would therefore urge the system to be rolled out as quickly as possible across all Trusts."
Health and Social Care (HSC) pathology services perform around 40m diagnostic tests in Northern Ireland each year, the results of which inform over 80% of all healthcare diagnostic and therapeutic decisions for patients.
Announcing the new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Minister Swann said: "A world class digital healthcare service is at the heart of our future healthcare needs, and the launch of LIMS is a shining example of transformation being delivered. LIMS is a modern and improved digital e-health solution, the first of its kind in the UK that will future-proof HSC pathology services and boost Northern Ireland's regional diagnostic capabilities, across cancer care, blood services and COVID-19.
"The £40m investment in the LIMS system, using software from CliniSys, supports the building of a new, tailored platform. It will significantly enhance standardisation of pathology services across Northern Ireland resulting in better quality of care for every patient and will support all of our healthcare needs by providing 24/7 testing support to hospitals and GPs.
"I'm very proud of the hard work of HSC laboratory staff, a workforce of around 1,100 people who are often unseen but whose work is so critical to the majority of diagnostic and clinical pathways, even more so during the pandemic. COVID-19 has placed unprecedented demands on our pathology services and heightened the need for a modernised service which this investment provides."
Welcoming the announcement, Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said: "I welcome this key investment to move our health service into the future. It is entirely in line with the transformation as envisaged by the Bengoa panel.
"As Chair of the Assembly's All-Party Group on Cancer, this will go at least some way to addressing widespread concerns about the backlog in diagnosis and treatment.
"I would therefore urge the system to be rolled out as quickly as possible across all Trusts."
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