The Eastern Pathology Alliance (EPA) has announced that it is to offer hepatitis C genotyping testing to the wider NHS nationally, leveraging its investment in next-generation sequencing assays.
Founded in 2012, the EPA has become a centre of excellence for pathology – particularly virology – providing centralised laboratory medicine for the Norfolk and Waveney region. It has selected state-of-the-art equipment from Vela Diagnostics, which incorporates Ion Torrent semiconductor sequencing to provide rapid turnaround of results for clinicians and their patients. It is currently the only laboratory in the UK to put this kind of a high-tech solution into routine use.
Aimed at other acute NHS trusts, CCGs and private healthcare providers, the new service will comprise a whole package involving fast testing, clinical interpretation along with guidance and advice about drug selection. Pricing will be based on a per test fee.
Pictured, from left to right are: Reenesh Prakash, EPA network manager, Stephen Brolly, senior biomedical scientist, Dr Samir Dervisevic, clinical lead for virology at the EPA, and Christopher McDonnell, chief virology biomedical scientist.
