NSW Health nears milestone in blood cancer pathology upgrade

The statewide rollout of Digital Haematology Morphology technology is nearing completion, marking a significant milestone in the modernisation of laboratory services across NSW Health Pathology.

The technology is transforming blood film analysis for leukaemia and other blood cancers across metropolitan, regional and rural laboratories, helping reduce turnaround times and strengthen patient safety.

For regional hospitals without on-site haematologists, the capability is proving particularly transformative. Previously, blood films often had to be couriered to metropolitan laboratories for specialist review. With CellaVision, digital films can now be shared instantly, enabling more timely specialist input and supporting faster clinical decision-making.

“The initiative has successfully introduced digital morphology capabilities at scale, enabling laboratory teams to access cases remotely, collaborate more effectively and reduce reliance on physical slide handling. This is particularly beneficial for regional and smaller laboratories, where access to specialist expertise can now be achieved more efficiently,” said Project Manager Mandy Hubbard.

Since the program commenced in April 2025, it has expanded to 41 sites, including nine reporting-only locations. Tamworth and Port Macquarie were the first sites to go live in February 2026, while the final site, Bankstown, was completed in mid-August 2026.

The rollout has been supported by the installation of 33 analysers and training for more than 200 staff in the new systems, establishing digital morphology capability across an increasingly broad network of NSW Health Pathology laboratories.

Led by Director Scientific and Technical Strategy Vanessa Thomson, the program is already demonstrating measurable improvements in turnaround times, with some sites recording improvements of up to 15 hours.

For laboratory staff, the transition has also brought greater speed and simplicity to routine workflows.

“Once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy to use and quicker,” said Suzanne, Wagga Wagga, Senior Scientist.

The clinical impact is equally significant, with digital morphology supporting diagnoses and accelerating access to treatment.

“It confirmed a previously undiagnosed case of G6PD deficiency and ensured a patient with acute leukaemia was diagnosed and transferred to a Sydney hospital the same day for treatment,” reflected Alison, Kempsey Lab Manager.

In reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey, Health Industry Hub^TM is the only one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of the Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change.

The Health Industry Hub^TM content is copyright protected. Access is available under individual user licenses. Please click here to subscribe and visit T&Cs here.