A major new laboratory has opened, providing some of the most modern facilities in the UK and enabling groundbreaking research and pioneering treatments to be developed.
A new £90 million laboratory is developing lifesaving treatments
and technologies to benefit patient treatment and diagnosis across
Scotland.
The new laboratory on the Southern General campus is one of the
most modern facilities in the UK, enabling groundbreaking research
and pioneering treatments to be developed.
Facilities include a genetics laboratory, which is developing
tests to allow treatments tailored to a patient's DNA makeup,
a blood sciences department, which performs a wide range of
analytical tests on blood samples, and a range of tests to aid
diagnosis of medical conditions.
By centralising laboratory services in one place, samples can be
processed quicker, so that patients get faster results.
Speaking as he officially opened the building, Health Secretary
Alex Neil said:
"This new facility will bring together a whole range of laboratory
services under one roof and provide NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
with a modern purpose-built facility which will play a key role in
supporting the New South Glasgow Hospitals Campus site.
"In addition, it will bring real benefits for patients, by
providing faster diagnostic tests, and through the development of
pioneering medical breakthroughs.
"The completion of the lab building is just the first step in this
exciting journey for patients across the West of Scotland.
"Centralising services for all ages on a single site will ensure
that everyone can access the widest possible range of specialist
services and will also bring with it increased efficiency, shorter
waiting times and better care."
Andrew Robertson, Chairman, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said:
"The opening of this new state-of-the-art laboratory represents the
first phase of an integrated children's and adult hospital with
maternity services on site providing the gold standard for health
care.
"The new laboratory building is the first stage of a building
programme that will transform the Southern General campus into a
world class facility.
"It has been delivered on time and within budget and has created a
multi-disciplinary approach to laboratory medicine which will
benefit patients now and in the future."
Rachel Green, Associate Medical Director for Diagnostics, added:
"The magnitude of the operation at this fine building is
immense and should not be under estimated.
"More than 800 people have relocated to this new laboratory and 10s
of 1000s of results are being generated every single day to support
faster turnaround times improving our diagnostic capacity for the
patients we treat.
"With state of the art equipment and fit for purpose laboratory
space I am immensely proud to be part of the first tangible
demonstration of the way that laboratory medicine is being
modernised across Greater Glasgow and Clyde."
The new facility has over 700 staff including medical, clinical
scientists, biomedical scientists, technical assistants,
administrative and clerical staff.
The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to deliver
diagnostic services for biochemistry, haematology, microbiology,
genetics and pathology.
It also has one of largest laboratory managed contracts with Abbott
Diagnostics, which is worth more than £100 million over seven
years, to provide a range of diagnostic services.
The lab is just one part of the £842 million publicly funded
project which will see an integrated children's and adult hospital
built on the site of the current Southern General.
With 1,109 beds, the adult hospital will sit alongside a 256 bed
children's hospital, providing maternity, paediatric and acute
services on a single site.
The South Glasgow Hospitals Campus is part of over £2 billion which
is being invested in improving NHS facilities over the next three
years.
The new £90 million laboratory on the South Glasgow Hospital
campus is developing lifesaving treatments and technologies to
benefit patient treatment and diagnosis across Scotland.
Facilities include a genetics laboratory, which is developing
tests to allow treatments tailored to a patient's DNA makeup,
a blood sciences department, which performs a wide range of
analytical tests on blood samples, and a range of tests to aid
diagnosis of medical conditions.
By centralising laboratory services in one place, samples can be
processed quicker, so that patients get faster results.
Speaking as he officially opened the building, Health Secretary
Alex Neil said:
"This new facility will bring together a whole range of
laboratory services under one roof and provide NHS Greater Glasgow
and Clyde with a modern purpose-built facility which will play a
key role in supporting the New South Glasgow Hospitals Campus
site.
"In addition, it will bring real benefits for patients, by
providing faster diagnostic tests, and through the development of
pioneering medical breakthroughs.
"The completion of the lab building is just the first step in
this exciting journey for patients across the West of Scotland.
"Centralising services for all ages on a single site will ensure
that everyone can access the widest possible range of specialist
services and will also bring with it increased efficiency, shorter
waiting times and better care."
The new facility has over 700 staff including medical, clinical
scientists, biomedical scientists, technical assistants,
administrative and clerical staff.
The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to deliver
diagnostic services for biochemistry, haematology, microbiology,
genetics and pathology.
Source:
Scottish Government - £90m lab opens