The Royal Oldham Hospital has made history in Greater Manchester by becoming the first pathology laboratory to adopt digital image technology for biopsies. This innovative approach, implemented in May 2024, involves scanning traditional glass slides to create digital images that can be viewed for diagnosis, eliminating the need for microscopic examination. The utilization of digital pathology allows for secure sharing of results among hospital experts, facilitating a quicker turnaround time for test results and treatment initiation without the hassle of physically transporting glass slide samples between hospitals.
Amanda Ogden, service manager at the cellular pathology and mortuary service at The Royal Oldham Hospital, expressed her enthusiasm for the impact of digital pathology on patient care, stating that it would revolutionize the service and lead to expedited testing and treatment processes. This transition to digital pathology marks a significant milestone for the Greater Manchester Pathology Network, following 15 months of dedicated work towards this initiative.
The team at The Royal Oldham Hospital, a part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, has initially chosen to focus on bladder, colonic, and duodenal biopsies for digital reporting, ensuring that all histopathologists and trainees receive the necessary training to utilize this technology effectively and safely. Beth Tumilty, the programme lead for the Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network, commended The Royal Oldham Hospital for leading the way in digital transformation within the network and emphasized the potential benefits of enhanced diagnostic accuracy and improved patient outcomes through faster treatment processes.
Future plans include expanding the implementation of digital pathology throughout Greater Manchester, with the laboratory at Salford Royal Hospital slated to follow suit. The overarching goal is for all seven laboratories across the region to integrate digital pathology by 2025, ultimately streamlining and enhancing pathology services for the benefit of patients.
Unfortunately, pathology services in south east London recently faced disruptions due to a cyber attack on system provider Synnovis. This incident underscores the importance of reliable and secure technology infrastructure in healthcare settings.
