Mike Nesbitt MLA, Minister of Health in Northern Ireland, has visited the Kelvin Laboratories, Royal Victoria Hospital, at Belfast Health & Social Care Trust to see first-hand the work undertaken by the pathology and laboratory staff from across a range of pathology specialties.

Hosted by the College Chair of the NI Ireland Regional Council, Dr Gareth McKeeman, the Minister and Ryan Wilson, Director of Secondary Care, Department of Health NI, also met Jena Crawford, Co-Director for Laboratories, Chairman Ciaran Mulgrew, Interim Director Cancer & Specialist Services Moira Kearney, and Lead Scientist Margaret McDonnell as well as consultants and trainees.

Areas included in the tour were central specimen reception, automated biochemistry, neonatal screening, metabolic, regional toxicology, mass Spectrometry, microbiology and virology.

Dr Gareth McKeeman, Chair of the RCPath Northern Ireland Regional Council said:

‘The visit from the Minister and the Department of Health was a great opportunity to showcase some of the excellent work that goes on in our laboratories and highlight the many laboratory based staff involved in patient care.’