Media Resources & Contact
A new pathology laboratory has been officially opened at Nepean Hospital by the NSW Health Minister, the Hon. Ryan Park MP. The new lab is part of the hospital’s $1 billion redevelopment.
Minister Park joined health workers in a tour of the new laboratory just ahead of the official opening on Tuesday 8 August.
The pathology laboratory has doubled in size and features new equipment, reception area and staff amenities.
Our Nepean laboratory is one of the first to benefit from NSW Health Pathology’s $29 million investment to upgrade chemical analyser equipment in 27 labs across Western Sydney and regional NSW.
Investing in the latest automation technology will further improve efficiencies in the movement and processing of samples in larger laboratories, like Nepean.
Staff working in our laboratories are critical to most aspects of clinical decision-making in a hospital, and ensuring they have state-of-art equipment and infrastructure is central to the efficient provision of clinical services.
The expanded pathology laboratory and new equipment will improve the way staff work in the laboratory and carry out pathology testing, which are crucial tools in detecting, diagnosing and treating disease, as well as an important aspect of managing long-term medical conditions.
NSW Health Pathology’s Acting Chief Executive, Professor Rob Lindeman, said the transition from the old lab to the new facility has been a team effort.
“Staff have worked extremely hard to reach this point,” he said.
Prof Lindeman said the laboratory will bring enormous benefits to the communities of Penrith and Blue Mountains.
“Not only does this new lab provide important pathology services to local areas, but it is also a great example of collaboration with our colleagues at Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.
“It’s also ideally positioned next to the emergency department, maternity ward and theatres – enhancing clinical interactions for staff and our patients, and will allow us to provide rapid turnaround times for services to these critical parts of the hospital campus.
“The contemporary configuration creates opportunities for automation and streamlining of testing, and for interaction between specialties that are increasingly relying on molecular technologies,” said Prof Lindeman.
The Nepean laboratory operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and last year processed 1.2 million tests for patients.
