Delivering Pathology services
that are fit for the future
Building on more than 40 years’ collective experience, we have developed a range of services to address the challenges faced by your Pathology department. From helping you to take those critical business decisions, to the design, delivery and management of the ideal service model, we have the skills and expertise to give you:
- Increased savings
- Improved performance
- Effective change management
- Improved sample flow
- End-to-end system optimisation
STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING
Make the right strategic decision to minimise risk and optimise value
In the rapidly changing world of network consolidation, changing funding models and continuous technology development, making the right strategic decision is a challenge for any organisation. Our skills and experience provide you with the best possible information, insight and advice to minimise the risk and capitalise on the opportunity associated with such major organisational changes.
PARTNERSHIPS & NETWORKING
Guiding you through the complexities of forming effective network partnerships
Pathology partnerships continue to be a key driver for change across the UK and abroad. When embarking on such a complex problem, we don’t only provide you with the skills and expertise to develop the most effective networks and quantify the value of partnerships, but our experience in delivering similar projects globally also supports the essential change management efforts required to ensure broader adoption and success.
OPERATIONS DESIGN & OPTIMISATION
We help you plan services reconfiguration for optimal performance
Organisational change, new technologies and changes in commissioning arrangements can all have a dramatic impact on the way that pathology services are delivered. Our team of operational experts can work with stakeholders across your healthcare ecosystem to understand the drivers of change and build on your own strengths and capabilities to design an approach that will effectively deliver a high quality, patient focussed service in the short, medium and long term.
PROCUREMENT & OUTSOURCING
Improve performance of the entire healthcare system with smart procurement decisions
Whether you have an in-house pathology service or outsource the service to another public or private provider, the decisions you make during major equipment or service procurements will impact the entire healthcare system for at least a decade. We will help you to clearly define your needs and ensure that you procure the best possible solution in terms of cost, quality and long-term sustainability.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
Implementing performance improvement programmes
Pathology services are required to continuously deliver more with less. Budget constraints, increasing demand, changing testing methodologies and staff pressures are all challenges that laboratories face daily. Lifecycle’s bottom-up approach to performance improvement makes use of our in-depth understanding of laboratory operations to identify and deliver real change in the laboratory.
CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
Achieve long-term cost effectiveness through better supplier management
Managing change successfully is a challenge for any organisation and is usually well resourced and funded. However, much of the value promised by major changes in the laboratory can go to waste if long term contracts are not carefully managed over the entire contract lifecycle. With more than 20 years’ experience in managing healthcare supplier contracts, Lifecycle is ideally placed to support the lab in the short, medium and long term.
INTEGRATION & DEMAND OPTIMISATION
Reducing unwarranted variation in pathology requesting
Trusts and CCGs are facing increasing cost pressures to provide high-quality, effective care for their population whilst facing continual increases in diagnostics activity. Our skills and expertise can help you identify unwarranted variation in referral patterns, including identifying low utility and/or inappropriate testing. We implement changes for both Trusts and CCGs that effectively modify clinician behaviour and reduce inappropriate testing. Our programme also acts to implement changes to requesting that can improve process flow within diagnostics departments.
Building Imaging Networks: A White Paper
We’ve developed a White Paper on how to build an Imaging Network. Drawing on our experience in building Pathology Networks, the White Paper covers:
· The key steps in building your Imaging Network
· The lessons learned from Pathology Networks
· The commercial models you’ll need to consider
When selecting our preferred pathology partner, Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trusts was faced with the unique challenge of not only having to decide between different NHS network options, but the decision was further complicated with the option of a private provider. Chris’ unique understanding of Pathology laboratories, the London Pathology market and the NHSI programme, help us navigate through this difficult decision-making process. The highly commended work completed by him and his team has led to us now being in the final stages of forming an ambitious partnership with Barts Health and Homerton University Hospitals.
Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust
Imaging Transformation
Growing demand in a resource constrained environment
Demand on imaging services continues to grow much faster than capacity can be added. In addition, aging scanners are putting even more pressure on already strained departments. These problems cannot be solved through training, investment or process improvement alone but needs an integrated, quality-focussed improvement approach.
