National Laboratory Medicine
Catalogue
September 2012
Implementable (Technology Preview)
Release
© Crown copyright 2012
Background
• The UK has an enviable reputation for high quality
pathology services
• Pathology is a key part of almost all patient pathways
• NHS pathologists carry out more than 700 million
pathology investigations every year
• GPs and hospital doctors rely on accurate information
from pathologists to help them make the right treatment
decisions
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Electronic Requests and Report
in Pathology
• A decade ago the Pathology Messaging Implementation Project
(PMIP) introduced a message format for electronic reporting with a
focus on biochemical and haematology tests defined in the
Pathology Bounded Code List (PBCL)
• Recent audits in England have shown varying degrees of
compliance with both PMIP and PBCL.
• As a result, different test names in different settings could mean
different things - the result is large variations in how tests are
reported electronically across the NHS!
• The advent of modern systems has led to a need for pathology
catalogues that can support electronic requesting as well as
reporting
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Evolution of the
National Laboratory Medicine Catalogue
• The National Laboratory Medicine Catalogue (NLMC) is a unique
data set which has been established with support from the
Department of Health, NHS Connecting For Health and the Royal
College of Pathologists
• It uniquely defines pathology test requests that have been
validated for use within the NHS
• Content is truly ‘national’ – a major criterion for inclusion is that
content can be standardised and used in any care setting/with
any modern electronic pathology order communications system
• Once fully launched, NHS organisations will be able to choose
which tests to make available to local clinicians dependent on the
local pathology services provided
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What does NLMC cover?
• The first implementable release of the NLMC covers test
requests in:
– Immunology
– Clinical Biochemistry
– Histopathology
– Cytopathology
– Haematology and
– Blood Transfusions *
* Blood Transfusion Scope: The NLMC includes tests relating to basic blood transfusion studies
such as blood grouping and antigen typing. It does not cover requests to issue units of blood or
blood products such as fresh frozen plasma.
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Governance of NLMC
• The content of the NLMC has been quality assured for
use in the NHS by the NLMC Governance Board,
overseen by the Royal College of Pathologists
• The Board will continue to direct the Catalogue’s future
development to ensure it is responsive to the needs of
patients, clinicians and pathologists as well as the
healthcare demands of the future
© Crown copyright 2012
Benefits of the NLMC
• Potential for safer and more effective data
transfer/collation across healthcare systems
• Potential for increased accuracy of test
ordering/reporting
• No ambiguity – standard naming conventions
and consistent representation
• Reduced implementation times for Order
Communications and LIMS systems – no need
to define local catalogue from scratch
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Timetable for Release
• The first draft of the National Laboratory
Medicine Catalogue was made available for
peer review in January 2012
• In September 2012, a technical preview version
has been released for trial use
• Further releases are expected to follow twice
yearly
© Crown copyright 2012
Development
• Suggestions for improvements to the Catalogue are being widely
sought from across the NHS
• Feedback from the pathology, clinical and other NHS communities
is welcomed to support the Catalogue to grow and develop
• A discussion document and survey will be circulated after the
release, to solicit feedback and assist in identifying future
direction and priorities for the NLMC
• A feedback form is also included with the Catalogue for the
submission of any questions or suggestions about any aspect of
the NLMC
• For further information or to provide feedback please send your
completed form to datastandards@nhs.net
© Crown copyright 2012