The Steering Group provides strategic direction for the Scottish Pathology Network (SPAN) and comprises:
- The Lead Clinician/Head of Service from each NHS Health Board region providing cellular pathology services.
- The Head Biomedical Scientist/Laboratory Manager from each NHS Health Board region providing cellular pathology services.
- The Chair of the Diagnostics Specialty Training Board (NES representative for medical training).
- Representatives of the National Network Management Service (National Services Division).
- Ad hoc representation is added depending on the subject area under discussion. Links are maintained with an academic representative.
This structure of representation provides the network with direct frontline communication with all cellular pathology departments in Scotland, which is unique and critical for the operational function of the network as it is currently constituted.
Currently, there are 10 delivering NHS Health Boards, each with a single processing laboratory. These are as follows:
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran, at Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
- NHS Dumfries & Galloway, at Dumfries Royal Infirmary, Dumfries
- NHS Fife, at Royal Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
- NHS Forth Valley, at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbet
- NHS Grampian, at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen
- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow
- NHS Highland, at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
- NHS Lanarkshire, at Monklands Hospital, Airdrie
- NHS Lothian, at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (note a subsidiary reporting department is present at the Western General Hospital)
- NHS Tayside, at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
NHS Borders, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHS Western Isles and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital are represented through their links to the NHS Boards that host pathology services.
The Steering Group meets bi-annually for general meetings and annually for a Quality & Performance Event. Other meetings to deal with specific items of strategic, operational or national interest are called as and when appropriate.
The minutes of all meeting types will appear on this page once approved, as will the network reports. SPAN is commissioned by the National Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland, and is required to submit bi-annual reports on progress against objectives and quality indicators.
If you have any items you would like the steering group to consider please contact us on NSS.SPAN@nhs.scot