Where science meets innovation, a day to celebrate the value of pathology in healthcare

This is the day when we celebrate the immense contribution of all those associated with the Pathology industry in Aotearoa New Zealand. After a particularly trying last 36 months with our pathology workforce going above and beyond during the Covid Pandemic, it is a time to acknowledge and appreciate this critical sector within the health system in Aotearoa.

Pathology laboratories provide all the diagnostic testing, screening, and monitoring services for patients from every corner of the motu. Our laboratories perform over 80 million patient tests in an average year. We all know the last year has been anything but normal for our Medical Laboratory Scientists and Technicians, Pathologists and all the support workers and industry suppliers.

It is an absolute credit to our frontline workforce that despite some very difficult situations our services have never faltered, and our expertise and leadership is now being utilised in other parts of the health system.

‘Our diagnostic laboratory workforce and all those support services associated with the provision of pathology services deserve every accolade for their tireless and dedicated commitment to care for all people in Aotearoa New Zealand’, says Terry Taylor, president of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science.

Accurate diagnostic testing is the essential tool in almost all medical diagnostic pathways. Cancer diagnostics rely exclusively on confirmation testing and pathologist assessment. The skill and expertise of both the workforce and all those that support pathology laboratory functions is vital to ensure a smooth functioning pathway from taking the sample through to the communication of results and the resulting patient care.

‘We urge everyone to take a moment on Wednesday November 9th to think about the role of this highly qualified but not always visible health sector and pledge support for the outstanding mahi performed within our pathology laboratories in Aotearoa New Zealand’, says Terry Taylor.

"Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini"
Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many.