Stamp of approval suspended for trust

NHS bosses have said they are working to regain a stamp of approval for a trust's department which deals with tests.

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT Local democracy reporter

NHS bosses have said they are working to regain a stamp of approval for a trust's department which deals with tests.

The South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which covers James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, has seen its pathology department, which deals with the laboratory examination of body tissue samples like blood, given a temporary suspension from accreditation by national body UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service).

The trust has said there will be no impact on day-to-day services, all tests were validated or verified, no concerns were raised over staff's technical abilities and inspectors were impressed with their work but highlighted "some areas for improvement with departmental processes".

UKAS has confirmed the suspension was imposed for the South Tees trust, covering the main pathology disciplines of haematology, blood transfusion, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, virology and cellular pathology. Its website shows the trust is one of nine organisations currently under an "imposed suspension", from November 21 last year.

The trust's pathology service has laboratories at James Cook and the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton. Its website says the UKAS accreditation is "currently temporarily suspended, pending reassessment".