Medica is thrilled to announce the launch of MedPath, its pathologist-led, fully digitised, histopathology service. With two decades of experience as a trusted partner to over 50% of acute NHS trusts, Medica continues its legacy of innovation by introducing a service that will support patient care and streamline diagnostic workflows.
One of the key highlights of the service is its ability to support hospital departments with growing backlogs in pathology diagnostic workflows, as well as digitising slides, offering rapid, high-quality scanning. At a time when hospital departments are facing workforce shortages and backlogs are building, Medica are harnessing the latest technology to ensure that every patient’s diagnosis is efficiently managed, translating to swifter treatment decisions.
According to a study by the Royal College of Pathologists, “only 3% of histopathology departments have enough staff”.¹ In addition, Cancer Research UK estimate that, “with a growing and ageing population, the number of cancer cases is projected to rise by more the 40 per cent to about 514,000 new cases per year in 2035. Early detection greatly improves the chance of successful treatment and NHS screening initiatives, such as those for breast and bowel cancers, place rising demands on histopathology services.”²
The esteemed Dr. Kishore Gopalakrishnan, lead gastrointestinal pathologist at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, is Clinical Director for MedPath and leads the team with a wealth of expertise and passion for advancing healthcare technology. His commitment to cutting-edge solutions has led to significant progress in leveraging technology for patient care. “I am excited to be a part of this transformative journey in digital pathology,” he says. “We believe in the utility of AI-powered workflows to enhance accuracy and efficiency, and we’re constantly exploring ways to integrate AI seamlessly into our diagnostic processes. Our goal is to provide healthcare professionals with tools that empower them to deliver the best possible patient outcomes.”
Dr. Gopalakrishnan has been instrumental in the development of a state-of-the-art pathology lab dedicated to the digitisation of slides and blocks. The MedPath hub, located in Runcorn, Cheshire, will be managed by senior biomedical scientist, Rachael Nicholson and will be equipped to digitise slides and blocks for clients, using a state-of-the-art digital scanning machine. The scanner can process up to 100 slides per hour and offers a reliable solution for high-volume whole-slide imaging. In addition to the lab, Medica will offer managed services to clients, full administrative support will be available for every stage of a biopsy’s journey, to help optimise resources available to histopathology departments.
This latest innovation from Medica builds on the company’s legacy as a pioneer in the healthcare sector. With 20 years of experience in offering teleradiology services, Medica has consistently demonstrated its commitment to advancing healthcare delivery through technology. Medica’s digital pathology service further solidifies its reputation as a leader in revolutionising patient care.
References
1 & 2 Meeting pathology demand: RCPath Histopathology workforce census 2018