LD Supports Cellular Pathology Team

We are very pleased to support the purchase of a new Macropix Imaging System at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital via our Small Grants Scheme. The Department of Cellular Pathology is a busy laboratory receiving around 40,000 specimens of tissue from patients annually. The majority of these are cancer related; with samples being put through initial biopsy to diagnose cancers, and further tests to establish the stage of cancer or confirm the treatment required.

The Macropix allows the histologist [a scientist who specializes in the study of tissues] to accurately photograph and record the details of a sample; this is then passed onto the patient’s doctor who will use the histologist’s report to confirm a diagnosis and/or a course of treatment. Previously, the department was relying on written descriptions of samples, which was time consuming and carried a risk of ambiguity. The Macropix makes the process more efficient and gives the scientists and doctors involved in the patient’s care a permanent image of their sample, that can be annotated during the planning of their future treatment. This may also have the effect of reducing the time taken for the pathology lab to process a sample, and therefore meaning patients receive a diagnosis more quickly.

We believe this is a great step forward for the cellular pathology team, and for cancer services at SaTH. Early, accurate diagnosis is a key priority for us as a charity and while most people never come into contact with the pathology team directly, they form a vital part of the process of a patient’s treatment.

Lingen Davies Small Grants are available for projects up to the value of £10,000, and are usually paid for from existing funds- this means we can fund smaller projects more quickly and help our valued colleagues working in local services to keep providing the best possible support for people living with cancer in our region. Grants are available to organisations providing services to people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Mid Wales, for example NHS bodies or local authorities. If you have a project that you would like to be considered for a Lingen Davies Small Grant please contact Naomi Atkin on [email protected]

Picture: Amanda Rainbow, Deputy Head Biomedical Scientist, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust, with the next Macropix Digital Imaging System.