Photo: 123RF
The country's lab workers say they must not be forgotten as the Government looks to boost the health workforce. Many patients, including those waiting for crucial cancer diagnoses, are waiting up to two weeks to get their biopsy results as med labs struggle with short-staffing and huge workloads. Official turnaround times for some biopsies have blown out, and in some areas have more than doubled from a target of five days to over eleven. It's bringing additional anxiety and stress for patients who fear their treatment could be delayed. Susie speaks to Terry Taylor from the Institute of Medical Laboratory Science about the pressures along with oncologist and Cancer Society co-medical director Dr Kate Gregory about the impact on patients.
