‘Clear’ support for pathology services staying at Homerton, watchdog says

Homerton Hospital. Photograph: David Holt

Unanimous support was expressed for the continuation of pathology services at the Homerton Hospital at a public meeting organised by Healthwatch Hackney at which outsourcing or privatisation were rejected as options for the imperilled department.

More than 50 patients, residents, doctors and health workers attended the event, the watchdog which scrutinises health and care services locally said.

Among them was Councillor Philip Glanville, Hackney’s deputy mayor and Labour’s candidate in the upcoming mayoral election.

The council’s health chief Cllr Jonathan McShane was also present.

The meeting comes as pressure builds ahead of a crunch meeting of Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust’s board which could be held later this month at the earliest.

Pathology services – the screening of patients’ blood, urine, stool and tissue samples by scientists to detect potentially fatal conditions – could disappear from Hackney, the meeting’s attendees fear.

Attendees at the Healthwatch Hackney meeting hold a ‘Save Homerton Path Lab’ banner. Photograph: Healthwatch Hackney

Work on transforming the Homerton’s existing pathology department into a new three-storey facility began in 2014.

But Longcross Construction Ltd, the building firm contracted to carry out the work, went bust in June 2015, leaving the hospital without the updated service and £2 million of costs.

Campaigners fear this could spell the end for the hospital’s existing facility.

Paul Fleming, chair of Healthwatch Hackney, said it was “perfectly clear” that people locally “want the pathology lab to stay at the Homerton”.

He added: “Residents who have used the service tell us it is excellent. GPs who rely on fast, efficient results tell us it is excellent. The people who work there tell us it is excellent.

“There are no guarantees that privatisation or relocation would make the service any better, any cheaper or any more efficient.

“We would urge the board of directors to take the views of the local community into account when taking their decision.”

He added: “We understand the financial pressures the hospital is facing but relocating or privatising the pathology lab isn’t part of the solution to them.”

The hospital was invited to send a representative to the meeting but no one was available.

A spokesman for Homerton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “The work commissioned by the Trust to look at the possible options for the future of pathology provision at Homerton Hospital is still continuing. The Trust Board intends to discuss the matter again in the autumn.

“The Board and the Executive Team, supported by the Council of Governors, are absolutely clear as to the critical importance of an effective pathology service to the functioning of the hospital and also recognise the high-quality of the existing service.

“The Trust is liaising with its commissioners and any final decision on the future of pathology would be taken by the Trust Board.”

The Trust said no date had yet been set for when the decision would be taken.