Pathology Services            

FOI REFERENCE: 24452    FOI Date: 21^st October 2024    

What is the size of your trust’s serviceable population? 650000

How many patients has the trust tested for the following clinical biochemical markers in the last 12 months? 1 October 2023 – 30^th September 2024

a.     C-reactive protein (CRP) No longer offered

b.     High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) 305736

c.     Lipoprotein-a (Lp(a)) 20

Is there a limit to the frequency of the following tests per patient?

a.     C-reactive protein (CRP) No longer offered

b.     High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) No limit

c.     Lipoprotein-a (Lp(a)) All requests vetted

Please provide the name and post code of all the pathology providers in your trust

Worcester Royal Hospital WR5 1DD and Alexandra Hospital B98 7UB

Do you outsource any testing to commercial labs? If yes, please provide the names of each commercial provider No not for CRP or Lp(a).

Please answer the following questions for each pathology provider in your trust

Does the laboratory currently offer testing for the following?

a.     C-reactive protein (CRP) No    

b.     High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) Yes at both sites

c.     Lipoprotein-a (Lp(a)) Referred to another NHS trust for testing

What is the average turnaround time for an outpatient from blood sample collection to sharing of results for CRP and hs-CRP? 3.5hrs

Is CRP offered as a standalone test or part of a panel? Not offered

Is hs-CRP offered as a standalone test or part of a panel? Standalone or collection associated with clinical condition.

What machines are used to conduct CRP testing in your laboratory? Not applicable

What machines are used to conduct hs-CRP testing in your laboratory? Beckman

What is the lowest limit of detection (in mg/L) that you report for CRP? Not applicable

What is the lowest limit of detection (in mg/L) that you report for hs-CRP? 0.05

How many requests for measurement of CRP did your laboratory complete in the last 12 months? 0

How many requests for measurement of hs-CRP did your laboratory complete in the last 12 months? WRH – 240546. ALEX 65190

What is the maximum number of CRP tests that your laboratory can conduct in one month? Not Applicable

What is the maximum number of hs-CRP tests that laboratory can conduct in one month? Impossible to say. Too many other variables but significantly more than we do.

What is the cost of running a single CRP test in your laboratory? Please provide a breakdown of cost of running the test and all-in cost considering operations, FTEs etc.Not Applicable

What is the cost of running a single hs-CRP test in your laboratory? Please provide a breakdown of cost of running the test and all-in cost considering operations, FTEs etc.£1.63 approx. How much are you reimbursed for a single CRP test in your laboratory? Not applicable