by jbs080210 a3 — August 9, 2010—Brussels-based clinical services provider Labco and FM provider Sodexo have formed a joint venture to deliver outsourced pathology services in the U.K.
This is the first time that a facilities management company and an independent professional pathology provider have joined forces in Britain to enable pathology services to be outsourced, a statement from Integrated Pathology Partnerships said.
Labco is owned and run by an international network of pathologists. It operates more than 300 laboratories in six European countries — Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Portugal — performing analyses for more than 10,000,000 patients a year from a range of over 2,500 clinical tests. Labco employs around 4,500 staff including 500 pathologists.
Teaming up with Sodexo, which has many contracts within the UK healthcare sector, both private and public, means both groups get access to the others expertise, officials note.
IPP believes the main opportunities will be for taking over labs within trusts and other medical establishments, including major research institutes. However, operating models will vary and IPP will offer a range of service and partnership options depending on each healthcare organization’s needs.
