Preston Laboratory is being developed as the North West Centre for Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology Services

14 April 2009

It will play an important role in protecting the public from threats to health through food, water or the environment - such as threats from salmonella food poisoning, listeria, E.coli and Legionnaires' disease.

Approximately £93,000 has been invested in improvements to the laboratory infrastructure. In addition, investment is being made in new molecular equipment that will enable more tests to be undertaken for the identification of outbreaks of infection.
The unit has 20 dedicated staff. 

Professor Andrew Fox, the HPA's Lead Scientist for FW & E microbiology services in the North West, said: "The additional investment has enabled us to provide an excellent working environment for scientists and laboratory staff and is giving us the equipment we need to provide a very responsive service for our partners with a rapid turnaround of test results."

The North West FW & E laboratory at Preston is one 12 enlarged FW & E laboratories that have been newly created at strategic locations across England. The new network replaces a previous network of 26 smaller FWE laboratories.

 "As we are part of a national network, there will be a consistency of approach to staff training, grading and roles across the country, with clear career development opportunities," Professor Fox said.

The HPA's new FW & E network of laboratories has been designed in close consultation with partner agencies including local authority environmental health departments, port health authorities, the NHS and the Food Standards Agency.

A key partner is of course the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is hosting the new regional laboratory at the Royal Preston Hospital. Dr. John Cheesebrough, Consultant Microbiologist with the Trust, had a major role in helping to establish the new regional unit.

"We are delighted to have joined forces with the HPA and the opening of the new regional centre in our hospital in Preston is great kudos for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. This link up will enable both organisations to exploit exciting new germ detecting technologies for the benefit of our patients and for the whole of the North West Region," Dr. Cheesebrough said.

Jim McLauchlin, national Director of the newly created FW & E Network, said: "The structure will result in a better co-ordinated and more robust service that will allow us to become more responsive to new and potential challenges, such as the 2012 Olympics and outbreaks of infection such as norovirus.

"In addition, the changes will deliver an improved service to staff, stakeholders and service users. This includes the rolling out of a new IT infrastructure and the introduction of a single, co-ordinated transport system for more efficient sample collection and delivery, with more points at convenient locations."

Notes to editors

The Food, Water and Environmental (FW & E) Medical Microbiological Network is part of the Health Protection Agency's Regional Microbiology Network.

The restructure of the FW & E network was based on recommendations by HPA Directors Eric Bolton and Ian Farrell. Download a pdf of the consultation report here:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947361575

The 12 new regional FW & E laboratories are located in the following regions and towns:

• East of England: Chelmsford and Norwich Laboratories
• East Midlands: Leicestershire Laboratory
• London: Colindale Laboratory
• North East: Newcastle Laboratory
• North West: Preston Laboratory
• South East: Southampton and Ashford Laboratory
• South West: Bristol Laboratory
• West Midlands: Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent Laboratories
• Yorkshire and Humber: Leeds Laboratory

Press release issued by Hugh Lamont, Regional Communications Manager, HPA North West. Tel. 0151-482-5728 or 07764-906508.

Last reviewed: 14 April 2009