The roof of the new, state-of-the-art Pathology Laboratory at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) is now complete, marking a significant milestone in the delivery of improved diagnostic testing.
A traditional topping-out ceremony was held to mark the milestone, with staff and key stakeholders signing the concrete stair core of the building.
Several members of pathology staff were also invited to celebrate the completion of the highest point of the build and to see where they will be working in the future.
Developed by BAM Construction, once completed, the new facility, sited at St James’s Hospital, will become part of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Pathology Network, delivering pathology services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.
Transforming services
As well as supporting improvements in diagnosis for people across the region, the new laboratory will also help to meet the growing regional demand for specialist treatment and care while providing development opportunities for staff.
Dr Phil Wood, chief medical officer and deputy chief executive at LTHT, said: “We are incredibly proud to reach this significant milestone in the construction of our new pathology laboratory.
“To be able to stand on the roof and see the building taking shape has been really exciting and means we are one step closer to realising our ambition to drive collaboration across multiple trusts in our region and support improvements in specialist and routine diagnostic testing for all our patients, right across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.
“It’s going to be a fantastic working space for our staff, with cutting-edge technologies paving the way for more-innovative and transformative pathology services supporting both primary and secondary care delivery.”
Reducing the environmental impact
With much of the pre-fabrication happening offsite, BAM Construction has been able to maximise efficiencies in its programme delivery and reduce waste, supporting the trust’s sustainability and net zero carbon ambitions.
Paul Cleminson, BAM pre-construction director, said: “This is an important scheme for us at BAM.
“Digital techniques are assisting us with the precision of our work, co-ordinating the supply chain’s contributions, and preserving valuable data for others later on in operating the building.”
Flexible and digital by design, the new laboratory building will be mechanically ventilated, with heat recovery and systems to minimise power and re-use heat.
It will also incorporate a single, shared Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for the region, which will mean tests can be ordered, tracked, and results reported electronically to clinical services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.
A masterplan for the site
Building completion is planned for the end of summer 2023 and the lab is set to become fully operational by the end of 2023, with services transferring throughout 2023 and 2024 following the installation of new, high-tech equipment.
The development is part of the trust’s wider health improvement plan, known as Building the Leeds Way, which includes the development of a new adults’ hospital, a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital, and the largest single-site maternity centre in the UK – all brought together in one building on the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) site.
Currently, the trust’s pathology services are provided from outdated facilities in the Old Medical School at the LGI and from St James’s Hospital.
The new building will bring many of these services together and the vacated Old Medical School will form part of a plan to use surplus estate at the LGI to develop an innovation village which is expected to deliver up to 3,000 new jobs and £11.2billion in net present value.
