Mid and south Essex to launch ‘hub and spoke’ pathology service
- 2 June 2025
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has signed a 15-year contract with SYNLAB for the delivery of a unified ‘hub and spoke’ pathology service
- The contract, which begins in October 2026, will bring together the pathology services that support GP practices and clinicians across the trust’s Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals, with a patient population of 1.2 million
- It includes blood, tissue and other sample testing, as well as phlebotomy clinics for mid and south Essex
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has signed a 15-year contract with SYNLAB for the delivery of a unified ‘hub and spoke’ pathology service.
The contract, which begins in October 2026, will bring together the pathology services that support GP practices and clinicians across the trust’s Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals, with a patient population of 1.2 million.
It includes blood, tissue and other sample testing, as well as phlebotomy clinics for mid and south Essex.
Dr Peter Davis, consultant histopathologist and clinical director for pathology at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “There have been months of clinical engagement with staff across pathology, GPs and patient representatives to put a service together that meets the needs of our clinical teams and that of our patients.
“We see this as a positive step forward in what has been a long and carefully considered procurement process.
“The national approval of this pathology contract means we can now move forward in providing a single service.”
SYNLAB first announced in August 2024 that it has been selected to deliver a pathology service for mid and south Essex with an estimated worth of £935 million.
The trust and SYNLAB will provide a ‘hub and spoke’ pathology services model which focuses routine and specialist testing in high-capacity ‘hub’ laboratories, with laboratories on each hospital site (the ‘spokes’) to support emergency and inpatient care.
Matthew Hopkins, chief executive at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This marks a new and improved pathology journey for our patients, staff and local community.
“Having one provider for the whole of mid and south Essex will make delivery of pathology services more efficient and smoother.
“SYNLAB will invest in the very latest technology and equipment that will speed up access to results and focus on a digital first approach, which is very much in line with the trust’s strategy.
“There will be further investment in improving laboratories, providing modern facilities that staff feel proud to work in.”
SYNLAB has also committed to ensuring these facilities and staffing remain based within mid and south Essex.
Mark Dollar, chief executive of SYNLAB UK & Ireland, said: “We know how vital fast, accurate diagnostics are to patient care, and we are committed to working closely with the trust to deliver a high-quality, reliable service.
“Having served south Essex for the past 10 years, we understand the needs of, and have existing ties with, the area.
“The service will continue to be clinically led by the trust, who can count on our experience and investment in modern facilities, the latest technology, and, most importantly, our people.”
The current providers, Pathology First for south Essex and the trust’s in-house service for mid Essex, will remain in place until the contract begins.
In June 2024, a ransomware attack was launched on Synnovis, a pathology partnership between SYNLAB, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which led to thousands of appointments being cancelled and at least two cases of severe patient harm.
