About our Public Health Pathology service

We protect the people of NSW by accurate, high quality, consistent pathology testing to diagnose, manage and respond to infectious diseases and public health risk.

Service overview

Public Health Pathology delivers expert clinical services for matters including:

• disease and outbreak detection
• coordination of laboratory testing of notifiable diseases
• planning and responding to emerging diseases, including pandemics
• public health research and education.

Collaboration between our expert teams of pathologists, scientists, technicians, ICT experts, logistics, supply and pathology collection staff, delivers a coordinated response to notifiable disease detection and management.

Pathology research, innovation and agility ensure timely responses that predict and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

As a statewide pathology service, we’re committed to responding to the evolving needs of NSW citizens, communities and the health system.

Pathological diagnosis of infectious diseases and surveillance

We work with the NSW Ministry of Health, Public Health, and other state and federal organisations to manage coordinated testing of infectious diseases, outbreaks and pandemics, including:

• respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza
• Tuberculosis
• Meningococcus
• Hepatitis A, B, C
• Japanese encephalitis virus
• Monkeypox
• Legionella
• HIV.

We are a developer and key provider of pathology testing and surveillance to help control the spread of infectious diseases in NSW. We provide public health pathology advice at a state and federal level.

Fast, accurate confirmation is critical to prevent the spread of disease in NSW public hospitals and communities.

Other relevant NSW Health Pathology departments and affiliations:

Medical entomology NSWHP-ICPMR

We operate the only hospital-based medical entomology laboratory in Australia which receives samples from across the country.

It provides research and advice on the impact of insect-borne diseases on human health.

Medical entomologist Associate Professor Cameron Webb engages with media, social media, community and government to deliver public messaging and advice about safe and effective mosquito bite prevention.

Environmental health

NSW Health Pathology provides specialised testing for Legionella bacteria in cooling towers and hot water systems which can infect humans.

We also offer one of the most comprehensive range of tests in NSW to detect harmful trace elements including lead, copper, zinc, selenium, and titanium.

World Health Organisation (WHO) National Influenza Centre

National Influenza Centres collect and analyse viruses and ship representative clinical specimens and isolates to WHO Collaboration Centres for advanced antigenic and genetic analysis.

Our Director of Public Health Pathology, Professor Dominic Dwyer, leads the World Health Organisation (WHO) National Influenza Centre located at ICPMR-Westmead.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Research Leadership

The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance and Sexually Transmitted Infections (WHOCC for STI and AMR) and the Neisseria Reference Laboratory are based at NSW Health Pathology Randwick. The WHOCC for STI and AMR coordinates national and regional surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae for the WHO, and the national laboratory surveillance program for invasive meningococcal disease. The WHOCC for STI and AMR is part of the WHO Surveillance Network that supports low-and middle-income countries to build capacity to develop and implement antimicrobial resistance surveillance globally.