Sodexo, Labco JV to enable outsourced pathology services in UK

28 July, 2010

The collaboration is considered as the first in the UK in which a FM company and an independent professional pathology provider have joined forces to enable pathology services to be outsourced. iPP will bring together the skills of these two major global service providers.

iPP aims to partner with UK healthcare organizations to deliver pathology services that are responsive to users, cost effective and support NHS national clinical programs. To date, pathology services have been predominantly carried out by trusts in-house given limited opportunity to outsource to independent experts.Operating models will vary and iPP will offer a range of services and partnership options depending on each healthcare organization’s needs.

Geoff Searle, managing director for the new joint venture stated that the combination of resources and clinical disciplines which iPP draws from its two parent companies, would equip them to be a strategic partner to NHS and independent hospitals. The new joint venture can assist healthcare providers and commissioners in meeting the challenges of quality, cost and rising demand in UK pathology services.

Labco is owned and run by an international network of pathologists, and operates over 300 laboratories in six European countries, performing analysis for patients from a range of over 2,500 clinical tests.

Sodexo is a global provider of outsourced solutions to the healthcare market. Sodexo offers a wide range of traditional hard and soft facilities management services such as catering, cleaning, portering and reception as well as decontamination, sterile services and clinical technology services.