The delays in processing Covid tests and risks of staffing absences from sick or isolating staff across New Zealand’s medical laboratory network have highlighted the urgent need for a national medical laboratory service, says the APEX Union. 1 “Our laboratory scientists and technicians have been doing an excellent job responding to the spike in testing demand, however the public health response is being let down by a lack of leadership and co-ordination,” said Dr Deborah Powell, APEX union National Secretary. “Information flow between the Ministry of Health and the dozens of both public and private laboratories which serve our communities is clearly a challenge. The Ministry’s misunderstanding, or not realizing, that pooling would become unviable with higher positivity rates demonstrates the need for a closer integration and better communication across laboratories,” continued Dr Powell. The next issue we are going to face is when large numbers of laboratory staff become sick with Covid, potentially causing massive delays to Covid testing and other urgent diagnostic testing, particularly in small hospitals reliant on a handful of laboratory staff. “These risks are and were predictable but as long as the medical laboratory sector response is piecemeal and fragmented the Government cannot guarantee the ability of laboratories to respond effectively.” concluded Dr Powell APEX.
ENDS
Contact:
Dr Deborah Powell, National Secretary
M: 021 614 040
David Munro, Advocacy Lead
M: 027 276 9999
1 APEX Union represents allied health professionals including over 1000 medical laboratory workers.
What is a Medical Laboratory Worker?
Medical Laboratory Workers are registered health professionals who run laboratories and test, interpret and report laboratory results. They are trained to identify disease and abnormalities through studying blood, tissue and other bodily samples. Laboratory workers work ‘behind the scenes’ but remain an integral part of the health system whose work is vital to patient treatment. More than 90% of prescribed treatments require laboratory input to aid/confirm diagnosis or to monitor drug levels or disease progression.
Medical laboratory science is a bit like detective work. Workers look for answers to the disease ‘puzzle’ to help doctors diagnose and treat their patients. They answer questions such as: are these cells abnormal? What do these blood cells tell us about this person’s health? How does it fit in with their other symptoms? How much of drug ‘x’ is in this person’s blood? Is it working effectively? What bug is making this person sick?
Medical Laboratory Workers take on a high level of responsibility, often needing to make important decisions under pressure. Emergencies can occur at any time, day or night, so laboratory workers have to prioritise and use their initiative, often without much back-up. If the doctor needs to know the answer, they have to deliver. Sometimes this means working through the night providing results while patients fight for their life in another part of the hospital or a surgeon waits, mid-operation, for a phone call.
Responsibilities include developing, adapting and applying scientific methods of analysis and ensuring high standards of quality assurance. An understanding of the methodology and theory behind complicated, technical and automated equipment is essential, as is developing the skills necessary to identify and interpret abnormalities under the microscope or via other diagnostic technology. Laboratory workers are highly regarded and sought after worldwide.