New pathology system an Australian first

Pathology testing in Western Australian public hospitals will be significantly enhanced thanks to a new $1.8million Automated Process System (APS) at the PathWest core laboratory in Royal Perth Hospital.

Health Minister Dr Kim Hames said the APS would speed up the supply of critical laboratory results and make the best possible use of blood samples, meaning less blood had to be taken from sick patients.

"It's estimated that 70 per cent of clinical decisions are influenced by laboratory results and we know that getting results through in good time is absolutely essential to tertiary care," Dr Hames said.

"The APS will speed up the lab process so doctors can get on with making clinical decisions and delivering the care their patients require.  This will contribute to faster patient flow in the hospitals.

"The APS also represents a very sound investment, with the $1.8million capital expenditure expected to deliver savings on consumables of $800,000 per annum."

The system is the first of its kind in Australia and one of only three in the southern hemisphere and 55 worldwide.

The APS centres on a track approximately 17 metres long, 1.3 metres high and 0.5 metres wide which carries blood samples through the various stages of the lab process.

It includes robotic arms which sort the samples and spin them in a centrifuge to separate blood from plasma, and modules which store and retrieve the samples and deliver them for testing in state-of-the-art analysers.

The Minister said that advanced data management systems connected to the APS provided a highly-efficient, streamlined lab process.

"The hospital doctor orders a test in their computer and takes a blood sample.  When that sample gets to the lab the APS knows what tests are required and works out how to organise the testing schedule for maximum speed and efficiency," he said.

"The APS then sends test results straight back to the doctor or highlights tests which lab staff need to examine.

"This is an extremely powerful system which can perform 210 different types of test, and can handle 600 samples and produce 4,200 test results per hour."

Dr Hames said the APS would help PathWest meet the growing demand for pathology services while minimising errors and reducing biological hazards.

"Laboratory workload is increasing by 10 per cent each year while there are growing workforce challenges in lab medicine," the Minister said.

"The testing capacity of the system can be upgraded in future, helping PathWest to future-proof pathology services in WA's public hospitals."