New Zealand’s laboratory sector has served us well, but its structure has produced a range of service inconsistencies and inequities – now is the time to make change, says a collective of laboratory service providers.
Awanui Group, in partnership with Pathlab and Medlab Central, has released a new position paper for the future of funded pathology services in Aotearoa.
The funded lab sector provides critical health services to New Zealanders, collecting blood and other samples and performing diagnostics – including overseeing almost all cancer diagnoses in the country.
Awanui Group Chief Executive Anoop Singh says through the former District Health Board system laboratory providers deliver a defined range of services in defined regions, and this current structure has produced geographical and service inconsistencies for communities.
“The health system reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide New Zealanders with consistent, patient-centred, smart, agile, and appropriately resourced pathology laboratory services. It is also a chance to bring together public and private providers, partnering towards a common goal,” says Mr Singh.
“The Future of Pathology position paper we have developed sets out what we believe the pathology sector needs to do and look like to deliver these aspirations.”
Mr Singh says the paper sets out four key focus areas recommending a series of changes covering: service delivery, the pathology workforce, sector structure, and models of funding.
“These are broad topic areas, however by getting basic principles right such as organisations working off the same test list and meeting the same KPIs, we can play our part in preventing post-code healthcare, remove duplication of laboratory services and reduce clinical risk.
Better coordination of public and private laboratories will reduce costs, while improving the range and scope of services for hospitals and communities in regions, including those which do not have them currently.
“The position paper also supports long-term sustainable funding models to enable investment planning across all areas of laboratory services.
“This includes funding a well-trained and sustainable workforce, service innovation, new technology and ensuring all New Zealanders can access the best diagnostic tools available around the world,” says Mr Singh.
The Future of Pathology Services in Aotearoa – Position on a Page is on the Awanui Group website – click here.
ENDS
About Awanui
- Awanui Group is New Zealand’s leading provider of community and hospital laboratory and pathology services in Aotearoa. Our service is delivered through Awanui Labs.
- Our national network of laboratories and collection centres is responsible for collecting, analysing, and reporting over seven million patient samples and results annually. This represents around 75 percent of all laboratory and pathology testing undertaken in the country.
- The Awanui network services over 25,000 New Zealanders every day through our network of 151 collection centres, 23 laboratories, and over 200 courier vehicle fleet.
- Awanui employs over 2,100 people and 70 specialist pathologists.
- Our owners are the NZ Super Fund, Te Pūia Tāpapa and global healthcare investors Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan who have a strong track record of investment in healthcare and laboratories.
- Awanui Labs is contracted by Health NZ to deliver pathology laboratory services in Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Nelson Marlborough, Christchurch, Otago Region and Southland.
- The Awanui Labs network was formerly known as Southern Community Laboratories, Canterbury SCL, Wellington SCL, Medlab South, Taranaki Pathology, Northland Pathology and Labtests.
- Awanui is also a leading provider of veterinary diagnostic testing and pathology services though our brand Awanui Veterinary.
- We also have a growing presence in food and water diagnostic testing through Awanui Scientific.
About Pathology in Aotearoa
- Pathology in Aotearoa is defined by community pathology and hospital pathology. Community pathology is all services delivered for patients outside of the hospital.
- Community pathology has always been provided by private healthcare providers in New Zealand (called funded-sector providers). Currently 96% of the community service is provided by the funded sector.
- There are three funded sector providers of pathology in Aotearoa; Awanui Group, Pathlab (Pathology Associates) and Medlab Central.
- 65% of hospital pathology is serviced through public hospital labs. The remaining 35% is serviced by the funded sector.
- In New Zealand and internationally, 70% of medical decisions and 100% of cancer diagnoses rely upon laboratory diagnostics in both community and hospital facilities. This includes:
- Supporting accurate diagnosis by assessing type, aggressiveness and stage of a disease.
- Enable clinicians to make informed decisions about patient treatment, management and follow-up care.
- Supporting public health and epidemiology experts by identifying and monitoring the patterns and spread of infectious diseases, detecting outbreaks, and assessing the effectiveness of interventions and preventive measures.
- Cancer detection and diagnosis to determine the type, stage, and spread for the appropriate treatment plans, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or targeted therapies.
- Providing insight and understanding into the underlying causes and progression of diseases crucial for the development of new treatments and therapies.
- Enabling personalised / precision medicine by providing essential information about an individual’s health at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels, and monitors treatment response.
- Procure, train, manage data, and facilitate the implementation of Point of Care technology to enable hard to reach communities to have access to diagnostics, and provide alternatives for vulnerable communities to interact with healthcare services.
- Undertaking research and collaboration with other researchers and organisations such as universities and professional bodies for developing new diagnostic techniques and accuracy, advancing medical knowledge, and treatment and care.
- Quality assurance to ensure the accuracy and reliability of diagnostic tests and procedures contributing to patient safety and the overall quality of healthcare delivery.