About us
The Royal Cornwall Hospital's Pathology service consists of approximately 210 staff and provides a 24-hour, 7-day service to Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly for both primary and secondary care.
This covers 3 main hospitals:
- Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, Truro, TR1 3LJ
- St Michael’s Hospital, Trelissick Road, Hayle, TR27 4JA
- West Cornwall Hospital, St Clare Street, Penzance, TR18 2PF
We also cover 9 community hospitals, approximately 80 GP surgeries, and a number of mental health and learning disabilities centres.
The Pathology budget is £20 million which is distributed across seven highly specialised services. The Pathology service currently performs over 10 million tests annually. Where it is estimated that over 75% of all clinical care decisions affecting a patients’ diagnosis or treatment pathway involve a pathology investigation. Treatment decisions and options as well as the monitoring of responses to treatment will regularly depend on Pathology based tests and investigations.
Our pathology services are accredited with UKAS and are also compliant with HTA & MHRA regulations. We provide advice, results, clinical input & support across all the main Pathology specialties from a base at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
Departments in our service
Our mission statement
To continue to provide and develop quality, cost-effective pathology services and staffing relevant to local clinical practice and within a changing technological, functional and organisational environment.
Complaints procedure
Complaints can be made by an existing or former patient, someone else with the consent of the patient (the patient’s consent must be in writing), or someone such as a close relative if the patient cannot complain or consent, for example if they are very ill or have died. There is a 12-month time limit for making a complaint. There is, however, some flexibility, so if your complaint is outside the time limits; it may still be investigated, especially if there is a good reason why you did not complain earlier.
Comments about, or experience of problems with the service should be addressed to the Lead Biomedical Scientist (LBMS), Consultant Head of Department (HOD), or to the Specialty Director (SD).
Contact us
To get in touch, please visit our 'contact us' page - see link below.
Key Pathology Policies & Guides
- Pathology Specimen Acceptance and Rejection Policy
- Positive Patient Identification Policy and Procedures
- Venepuncture Specimen Collection and Handling Policy
Pathology Services Newsletters
Lab Med News
A bimonthly newsletter sent via email to Primary Care. It contains the latest news from Pathology including changes to services, information and guidance on tests, and much more. Lab Med News is compiled by Anna Barton, Principal Clinical Biochemist (Department of Clinical Chemistry).