PathWest Where We Are Now and the Challenges Ahead

Dr Dominic MallonChief Pathologist

History

• Formed 15th July, 2005 as an operational division

within the Metropolitan Health Service

• Now in our 10th year

• Amalgamation of PathCentre (QE2) and the

Metropolitan Health Service pathology laboratories at

Royal Perth, Fremantle, Princess Margaret and King

Edward Memorial Hospitals

PathWest - Fast Facts

• ~10 million panels registered pa (15 million tests)

• 5-10% increase in tests pa 2005 - 2014

• ~2000 staff (1600 FTE)

• Facilities

• 5 Teaching Hospital Laboratories

– 2.5 by end of 2015

• 23 Branch Laboratories

• 56 Collection Centres

• Operational budget $261M for 2013/14

Teaching and Regional

Hospitals (Health Dept of

Western Australia)

Community

and Regional

Medical

Practitioners

(Medicare)

Western

Australian

Police

Commercial

Clients

Universities: Esp.

UWA,

Curtin University

Major External Stakeholders

State

Coroner

PATHWEST MAJOR PROJECTS 2010 – 2015 FINANCIAL YEARS

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

LIS +++

ABF

QE2 (1)

FSH (1)

POCT

PCH

NRPH

School

PaLM

Grey = Low Activity

Blue = Medium Activity

Red = High Activity

Added Internal Challenges - 2014

• Maintaining services at tertiary hospitals with

departing analytical infrastructure (RPH, PMH, FH)

– Enhanced Pre-analytical processes, ICT

– Preserved post-analytical input and support for

research

• Maintaining Paediatric Expertise within the

consolidated laboratory at QE2 site

Added External Challenges - 2014

• Regionalisation of Clinical Services in WA

– Mismatches in demand vs capacity

– Understanding Pathology costs in an ABF environment

• Demands for innovation esp in molecular biology

– Making the case for new areas of diagnostic testing

• Working with clinicians to make the value proposition

– Establishment of the diagnostic “pipeline”

• Generation, management, QC, interpretation and storage of the data

• Flow of information across departments eg AP, AP molecular,

translational pathology, genomics laboratories,

Low and High complexity service delivery

∙Interns to Consultants

∙Comprehensive repertoire

Reference Laboratories

∙Comprehensive access

After Hours

Rural and Remote

Point of Care

•Cost Recovery pricing

•Integral Clinical Service

Membership of Exec and other Operational Committees

Performance aligned with ACHS accreditation requirements

Clinical care and Consultation

•Integrated Academic activities

Appropriate use of diagnostic lab

Teaching

Training

Translational Research

Development of new tests

Ultimate Challenge – Demonstrating

the Value of Laboratory Medicine