“Implementing a regional LIMS at this scale is one of the most complex and ambitious things a pathology network can do. With the right structure, expertise and collaboration, we’re embracing that challenge head on. With Magentus, this programme is disrupting traditional models and showing what’s possible when NHS teams and suppliers work together as a single delivery team.”
—Christine Usher, Programme Director, Cheshire and Merseyside LIMS Programme
Overview
Serving 2.7 million patients across five NHS Trusts, Cheshire and Merseyside Pathology Network (CAM) is delivering one of the NHS’s most significant pathology transformations. Crucial to this transformation is replacing multiple Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) by creating three laboratory hubs with a single pathology service for the region. Through Evolution vLab® from Magentus, a single LIMS will unify services, improve interoperability and reshape regional diagnostics.
Once live, Evolution vLab® will reduce test duplication, improve result turnaround times, and enable consistent reporting across all five Trusts. For patients, this step toward truly connected care means faster and more consistent results, regardless of where their test is processed.
This programme, led jointly by the Cheshire and Merseyside Pathology Network Team and Magentus, is a demonstration of what can be achieved when NHS teams and suppliers act as one, combining clinical insight, digital expertise and a shared vision to redesign services at scale.
A collaborative approach
This transformation is being delivered through close partnership between CAM, Magentus and NHS Trusts. Magentus subject matter experts are grounding design in real laboratory experience, with almost 100 hours of co-design workshops, 20 days of on-site visits, and regular Clinical Reference Group meetings guiding every decision.
“We, as a programme, have tried to instil an ethos of shared responsibility. Supplier and customer, demonstrating a combined front. Both parties knowing what they are responsible and accountable for. One party cannot succeed without the other.”
—Rebecca Whitting, Programme Manager, Cheshire and Merseyside LIMS Project
Clinically guided design progress
Workflow design has been shaped through co-design workshops and detailed mapping exercises using Data Capture Worksheets. Direct observation during laboratory visits has been especially valuable, allowing the team to identify issues that the new LIMS can address. Clinical safety has been considered in every decision, ensuring the system is safe and effective from go-live.
Staff engagement has been maintained through the Clinical Reference Group and consistent communication across the network. FAQs, explainer videos and workflow updates developed with neurodiversity and inclusivity principles ensure that no one is left behind and that everyone understands how the new LIMS will improve their work.
Harmonisation work has included test catalogues, coding and workflows being aligned across all Trusts. This supports the single pathology network model and ensures consistent and comparable results wherever a test is processed.
“A successful LIMS implementation requires true collaboration from all stakeholders including our clinicians, scientists, managers and digital providers. There is no them and us. We are all equally responsible for successes and challenges within the programme and so establishing a high trust, values driven culture across our organisations has been vital to keep our progress on track.”
—Tracey Cole-Wetherill, Programme Director, Cheshire and Merseyside Diagnostic Programme.
Governance and infrastructure for scale
The programme is underpinned by a multi-tiered governance structure that ensures transparency, accountability and clear clinical ownership:
- Programme Board: Executive oversight
- Project Delivery Group: Day-to-day coordination
- Clinical and Operational Reference Group: Clinical quality and safety
- Discipline-Specific Clinical Working Groups: Design and change readiness
On the technical side, the groundwork for future innovation is already in place. Interfaces with national and local systems have been mapped, including NHS Spine. Plans are also in place to connect to the National Disease Registration Service API, automating Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset reporting. The AWS cloud-hosted environment meets NHS requirements for security, uptime and resilience, and has been independently assessed for cybersecurity compliance. Middleware within the system will allow technical validation of results to be carried out separately from clinical validation, giving flexibility to a distributed network. These measures ensure that CAM’s system will not only be safe and resilient, but also flexible enough to grow with the needs of the NHS.
Next steps and future vision
As CAM moves into the build and implementation phase, the programme is thriving on the strong momentum. Regular releases will introduce new functionality aligned with our plan, interfaces will be tested with around 150 analysers and middleware systems, and staged data migration will prepare for a smooth transition from legacy systems.
A demo environment is available throughout the build phase so that lab staff get a chance to test it and can engage before formal User Acceptance Testing, giving everyone who works in the lab the opportunity to become familiar with the solution before training begins.
Training will be delivered through a “Train the Trainer” model, embedding knowledge and skills across all sites. This will give staff the confidence to use the system from day one and the flexibility to adapt as it evolves.
A model for the NHS
The programme has already been recognised as an example of best practice in collaboration and digital maturity. For many involved, it represents a new model for how large-scale NHS digital programmes can be delivered: with transparency, clinical ownership, shared responsibility and an openness to innovation.
“The LIMS programme is a great example of how we can drive large-scale digital transformation through strong collaboration, shared vision, and mutual trust between NHS organisations and our supplier partner. What’s made this programme stand out is the genuine clinical, operational and digital engagement across the region, the openness to innovation, and the proactive approach to communication. As Executive Lead, I’ve been consistently impressed by the commitment, pace, and clarity of the work to date – perhaps a model for how we should approach complex digital programmes in the NHS.”
—Malcolm Gandy, Director of Informatics, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Conclusion
For Magentus, this is a showcase of how ambitious, clinically led programmes can transform essential services at scale.
“From the outset, our approach has been to work as a single, integrated delivery team. By combining Magentus’ technical and clinical expertise with the knowledge of local teams, we are building a system that is designed around real-world laboratory practice. This is a programme built on trust, shared responsibility and a clear vision for how technology can support better patient care.”
—Marlen Suller, Managing Director of Clinical Diagnostics EMEA, Magentus.
This programme demonstrates what can be achieved when clinical leadership, structured governance and strong supplier collaboration come together, building a future-ready pathology service for the people of Cheshire and Merseyside.
