Lab workers 'not to blame' for delays in pathology reports

LABORATORY STAFF should not be blamed for delays in pathologists’ reports, the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association has said.

Association spokesman John Kane said medical scientists had already extended their working day and were “doing their bit” to improve the service.

He was reacting to a suggestion made by South Tipperary coroner Paul Morris that a pathologist’s report could have been delivered in four months instead of 18 if laboratory staff were paid overtime to work on Saturdays.

Mr Morris had been speaking at the inquest of Oliver Hoare (56), who died at his home in Thurles in November 2009 but whose inquest was held only this week because of the time it took for the coroner to receive the postmortem report.

Mr Kane said laboratory staff were not slowing the process.

“I don’t think anybody would defend such a delay but laboratory staff should not be blamed for that. The reality is in large hospitals there is a Saturday morning service for routine work,” he said.

He said medical scientists had recently extended their working day to 12 hours, and had been working from 8am to 8pm since April. “Among the few public servants doing 8am to 8pm in hospitals are medical scientists,” he said.