I work in an NHS Path lab (blackpool,) have done for 17 years now. For as long as I can remember, there have been plans to merge us with other lab’s around the NW.

Well it’s looking more definite than ever now, with a four year plan to move us to Lancaster along with several other labs from Lancashire/Cumbria.

I can’t really say too much as I’m not exactly anonymous, although Unite released a statement recently which was quite damning so it is public knowledge now.

I was wondering if anyone else knows about the path lab mergers, has experience of it, how has impacted the service etc’?

They did it in NHS Wales when I was working in labs. Significant number of staff were downgraded with piss poor pay scale protection (approx 12 months). Had a very negative impact on moral. Not good. Feel free to PM if you want more info.

Such mergers are very much the way things are going, there is a move to consolidate these labs into single units. It was predicted many years. I think it was Mahatma Gandhi who said that “Many paths end up at the same location”

I was wondering if anyone else knows about the path lab mergers, has experience of it, how has impacted the service etc’?

It is all about the money in essence and economies of scale, with a decent SLA the service shouldn’t suffer at all.

I would imagine it will not include Histopathology in this as you need the doc to interpret the pathology.

It was predicted many years. I think it was Mahatma Gandhi who said that “Many paths end up at the same location”

Blimey that is a long time if Gandhi predicted it.