Construction firm BAM has been appointed as the design and build contractor on a new £27million state-of-the-art pathology laboratory based at St James's Hospital in Leeds.

The new facility - which will also provide pathology services to hospitals across West Yorkshire and Harrogate - will allow Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to bring many of its pathology services together into a purpose-built state-of-the-art laboratory.

BAM's appointment follows a competitive process under the Government's capital framework for health known as Procure22. It sees the Leeds-based contractor re-united with the Trust having previously delivered its interoperative MRI scheme and NHS Nightingale Hospital.

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Built to accommodate cutting edge equipment and specialist technology, the new laboratory – due to be completed in 2023 - will be designed for fast, accurate, routine and specialist testing. It will allow some of the services currently housed in outdated facilities in the Old Medical School at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) to move to the new laboratory.

The development is part of Leeds Teaching Hospitals' Building the Leeds Way programme, a long-term vision to transform healthcare facilities across the Trust for patients and staff. Work on a new adults' hospital and a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital on the Leeds General Infirmary site has already begun.

BAM has begun work on designs for the new pathology facility which will include engagement with service users in hospitals across Leeds, West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

Simon Worthington, Director of Finance for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the appointment of BAM Construction as the Primary Supply Chain Partner (PSCP) was a step forward for the project.

He said: "By bringing many of our pathology services under one roof we can maximise new technology and manpower to continue delivering a high-quality clinical service to support patient care. It will also allow staff to develop their skills in a new hi-tech facility."