Subject: DOH:APPOINTMENT OF FIRST NATIONAL PATHOLOGY ADVISER

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
2004/0158                                                         29 April 2004 
APPOINTMENT OF FIRST NATIONAL PATHOLOGY ADVISER

Dr Ian Barnes has been appointed as the Government's first National Pathology Adviser to champion pathology modernisation across the country.

Health Minister John Hutton said:

"I am delighted to welcome Dr Barnes to this post. This appointment builds on the launch, this February, of a new strategy for modernising pathology services. Dr Barnes will now drive forward these changes and chair the new national pathology modernisation group.

"Pathology is vital for patients to get the services they need at the time and in the place they need them. Pathology underpins delivery of NHS commitments and targets, especially for cancer, coronary heart disease, access, waiting times and A&E.  A modernised NHS depends on modernised pathology services."

Dr Barnes has been Head of Pathology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since 1998. Since 2001, he has been seconded part-time to the Department as its Pathology Modernisation Adviser, and was chair to the working group that helped develop 'Modernising Pathology Services'. He is also Chair of the Association of Clinical Scientists, a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and an experienced and respected consultant clinical scientist.

Dr Barnes has been seconded part-time, for 18 months and will be responsible (with the National Pathology Modernisation group) for:

- disseminating key messages on modernising pathology to the NHS and stakeholders,
- advising the Department of Health on the use and allocation of funding,
- supporting the sharing of good practice in pathology across the NHS,
- networking with the Modernisation Agency and other key stakeholders to redesign pathology services,
- working with the diagnostics industry to support the uptake of new technology, new ways of working and effective point of care testing services.

Membership of the new National Pathology Modernisation Group will be announced shortly.

Notes to Editors

1. For media enquiries ONLY please contact Victoria Maccallum on 020 7210 5281 or Bradley Smythe on 020 7210 5301. For non media enquiries please contact the DH enquiry line on 020 7210 4850.

2. In 1999, the Government demonstrated its commitment to modernising NHS pathology services with the establishment of the Pathology Modernisation Programme. In the first three years of the programme, we invested £28m in 39 demonstration sites across the country.
Details of the first three years are available at	

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/SecondaryCare/PathologyModernisationProgramme/fs/en															
3. Modernising Pathology Services builds on responses received to the consultation document Pathology - The Essential Service - Draft Guidance on Modernising Pathology Services.


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