New Laboratory Information Management System coming 1 September

The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a piece of software that processes the pathology requests made by hospital staff and GPs. It translates requests into laboratory tests, which our analysers and laboratory colleagues can then process.

LIMS is a software system that helps laboratories manage and track samples, improve data quality, and streamline processes.

The first section provides a short summary of the process, but more details are provided below.

A new LIMS will go live on 1 September 2025 across SHYPS. It will unify pathology services across Scarborough, Hull, and York, improving data quality, efficiency, and patient experience by reducing duplicate testing.

Temporary service disruption

• On go-live day, the laboratory will be without LIMS for up to eight hours, causing delays and reduced capacity
• Electronic requesting will be unavailable, and all pathology requests must be made on paper

Request reduction strategy

• To manage the transition, service users are asked to limit pathology requests from 29 August to 5 September, with specific reduction targets (e.g., 80% reduction on 1 September)
• Elective procedures requiring blood transfusion support should be cancelled on 1 September

Blood transfusion and sample validity changes

• From 1 September, two Group and Screen samples will be required at first presentation
• Sample validity rules will change, with three-day validity generally applied, and seven-day validity for pre-assessment patients without recent transfusion

Post-cutover recovery timeline

• From 2–5 September, lab capacity will gradually increase, but turnaround times may still be affected
• By 8 September, services are expected to return to normal operations, with pathology transport and histopathology remaining unaffected throughout

What's happening?

A new LIMS is going live on 1 September 2025 across the Scarborough, Hull, and York Pathology Service (SHYPS). 

Why are we moving to a new LIMS?

The move to a new LIMS brings a range of improvements that will enhance the quality, safety and efficiency of pathology services across Scarborough, Hull, and York.

The new LIMS will be a shared system across SHYPS, and will provide a single, seamless solution for processing pathology testing for patients having tests.

It will help standardise diagnostics, and having a single pathology record across the Integrated Care System (ICS) will mean patients do not need to have the same tests repeated when they move between hospitals and primary care, ultimately delivering a better experience for patients.

What this means

The laboratory will be without LIMS for up to eight hours on go-live day (1 September), while the new system is implemented.

This will significantly impact the service, with delays to turnaround times and reduced capacity throughout the cutover week.

For information for the CPD Changes for Pathology WinPath Implementation Click Here

How we're managing the impact

On the morning of Monday 1 September, electronic requesting will be unavailable for a short period. The exact timing will be confirmed closer to the date.

During this time, all pathology requests will need to be deferred or made on paper. Laboratory staff will continue to process clinically urgent samples throughout the day, with results either telephoned or sent on paper via the air tube system.

This process is slower and more labour-intensive and will affect the level of service we can provide to acute trusts and primary care.

To help minimise the impact, we are asking service users to limit pathology requests, where possible, between 29 August and 5 September.

The intention is to reduce pathology requests by:

• Friday before go-live - 50%
• Monday 1 September (go-live) - 80%
• Tuesday 2 September - 50%
• Wednesday 3 September - 50%
• Thursday 4 September - 40%
• Friday 5 September - 20%

Preparation prior to cutover

The laboratory will be able to support non-elective demand, but the turnaround time will be impacted.

Clinical units and care groups are requested to reduce elective activity during the week beginning Monday 1 September (cutover day):

• Elective surgical procedures that require blood transfusion support should be cancelled on the cutover day, 1 September
• Inpatient pathology requesting should be based upon clinical necessity
• Pathology requests to ensure patient flow should be based upon the Trust bed position
• No outpatient samples should be taken unless clinically urgent (i.e. decision to admit)
• Community and outpatient phlebotomy services should only take urgent samples
• In the weeks leading up to cutover, clinical services should not increase or front load activity to get ahead of the restrictions for 1 September

For Histopathology

MDT preparation — For go-live week and the week after, please send MDT lists at least one week in advance. This will give the secretariat time to pull cases promptly and ensure all patients can be discussed.

Early submission also allows us to check both LIMS systems in good time, helping to minimise the risk of delays or potential errors.

Please minimise frozen section activity during the first two weeks of September.

If an urgent frozen section is required, it must be pre-booked well in advance to allow us to plan appropriately.

Blood Transfusion

Two Group and Screen samples will be required for all patients at first presentation from 1 September 2025. 

Once a patient is processed in the new LIMS, normal requirements will resume. 

Three-day sample validity will be applied from 1 September 2025. 

Exception is pre-assessment patients for elective surgery wholse sample will be available for seven days on the confirmation of no recent transfusion. 

Please provide 48 hours' notice for blood components requests for planned procedures. 

Sample validity will be determined by BMS staff interrogating the legacy system; if an additional Group and Screen is required, the laboratory will inform the clinical team. 

Sample validity rules will remain until mid-October

Any changes to this will be communicated. During this time, there will be extended turnaround times. 

NHS number will be the primary identifier

Please utilise the NHS number on sample and request form wherever possible.

Applicable to York and Scarborough hospitals only

There will be no changes in CPD formatting.

Please ensure all cord samples are labelled with all babies' details, including NHS number, and packaged together with mother's samples for Kleihauer for testing post-delivery from 1 September onwards.

Blood track enquiry arrival and fating processes from the ward will be unavailable during the first week of the new system, blue tags should be completed and returned to the laboratory.

Please order components as early as possible and allow extra turnaround times during this transition period; please minimise calls to the laboratory.

Any questions, please contact: yhs-tr.Transfusionteam@nhs.net or York Blood Transfusion Lab 01904 726334/01904 725739/Bleep 842.

Scarborough Transfusion Lab: 01723 342322, Bleep 192, or Transfusion Practitioner: 07824569751.

Point of Care Testing (POCT)

Will be supported as normal. Additional guidance will be provided on POCT use during the cutover week.

Timeline

Friday 29 August

In the first few weeks after the new LIMS goes live, there will still be requests in the old system that need completing. Please note: any orders placed before 1 September but with samples collected after the cutover will not be recognised in the new system. These will be subject to processing delays, and there is a risk they may be missed.

On Friday 29 August, blood tests should be limited to requests that require a result within 24 hours. All other tests should be deferred until after the LIMS cutover period.

Microbiology and virology requests typically take days to process and complete. On Friday 29 August, requests should be confined to those patients with clinical indication of infection. Routine microbiology (MSRA screening, routine antenatal screening, etc.) should be avoided.

For clinically urgent samples, please take the sample and contact the laboratory to confirm that the request will be processed.

Monday 1 September (cutover day)

We will confirm the exact start time closer to the date.

On the morning of go-live, for approximately one hour, electronic requesting will not be available via CPD.

All requests will need to be deferred or submitted on paper request forms. The lab system will be down most of the day.

Requests from the following areas will be processed during the downtime, all other requests will be processed once the system has been restored.

Non-elective urgent and emergency testing from the acute units (emergency departments, Same Day Emergency Care, intensive care units, special care baby units, high-dependency units etc.)

Requests will be processed from non-acute locations in the following circumstances, following a phone call to the laboratory:

• Suspected sepsis or conditions with a risk of serious clinical consequences.
• Bloods that are essential for safe prescribing or monitoring conditions that cannot wait till the system is restored.
• Requests that are essential to maintain patient flow.
• We will not be able to process add on requests during the week of 1 September.

For clinically urgent samples from non-acute locations, please take the sample and contact the laboratory to confirm the request will be processed. For acute locations (such as ED), there is no need to call the laboratory - samples from these areas will be processed as normal.

Tuesday 2 September (post-cutover)

In the days immediately following cutover to the new LIMS, the laboratory will increase staffing capacity.

• Some elective recovery can be supported
• Ward based activity can return to normal
• Outpatient activity should remain limited to clinically urgent samples

Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 September (post-cutover)

During this phase, the laboratory will increase capacity and begin receiving routine requests again. 

Turnaround times are still expected to be affected, and laboratory staff will prioritise labile or clinically urgent samples.

Where possible, samples will be stabilised. However, if demand is not managed, there is a risk that some may become unsuitable for testing. 

At this stage, we will also resume accepting add-on requests. 

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September

Normal weekend service.

Week beginning 8 September

Return to normal service. 

 

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Updated 15/08/2025