Leeds and York first to use iSOFT solution
NHS trusts in Leeds and York are the first to adopt a new iSOFT solution to connect pathology systems so that requests and test results are exchanged electronically. The new deals are with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Processing three million sample requests a year, the pathology department at Leeds is one of the UK's largest and provides services to other NHS trusts under national and regional agreements. It conducts 200,000 routine pathology tests a year for York. iSOFT's new service replaces a paper-and-post process of exchanging requests and results, so cuts delays, but also eliminates the risk of mix-ups and results being lost. Based on iSOFT's Viaduct integration tool, the new service is a centrally-hosted web application for connecting laboratory information systems. "This latest service is part of our pledge to customers to deliver innovative solutions that will drive improvements in service and efficiency and help reduce costs," said Adrian Stevens of iSOFT. "Seventy per cent of diagnoses now rely on pathology tests, but there is a growing concern about rising demand and increasing pressure to reduce the £2billion UK budget for pathology tests. Connecting partner pathology departments electronically is a relatively simple and cost-effective means of achieving substantial gains that will contribute to savings nationally."
