A new laboratory, dedicated to the pathology specialism of histology, has opened at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals this week, providing better facilities for staff, but more importantly, increasing the capacity to diagnose diseases and conditions.
The Histology department in the new laboratory
Colleagues from the histology department began working in the new facility, after a year-long project of architecture, design and build work began following approval in April 2021.
The new laboratory has dedicated sections for a range of different laboratory activities. The lab also has bespoke specialist equipment, more adequate space for the department’s workload and overall is a vast improvement in working environment for the Trust’s dedicated histology team.
Histopathology is the study of cells in tissue and is involved in the diagnosis of various diseases and conditions; the department also carries out diagnostic testing for cancer.
Jo Sharples, Cellular Pathology Manager at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals said: “The opportunity to be involved in the lab design from the start has been an interesting and enjoyable project. The design and building teams have been great to work with and their support and specialist knowledge has been key in moving this project forward and making the laboratory the excellent, state of the art facility that it is.
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- The original main lab
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- The original biopsy cut-up
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- The original main lab
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- The brand new lab
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- The brand new lab
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- The brand new lab
“I am immensely proud of the histology team for their patience and resilience both prior to this project being agreed and throughout whilst our working environment has been extremely challenging.
“This new laboratory is compliant with all new regulations and will give a huge morale boost to staff. It will enable the department to manage the workload demands better, by allowing space for improved workflow, which in turn will contribute towards improved turnaround times and better service for our patients.”