NSW Health Pathology

NSW Health Pathology is Australia’s largest provider of public pathology with more than 60 laboratories, 200 collection services and 4500 staff.

Our organisation is made up of two main functions which have overlapping and distinct audiences. The first, our health services span across more than sixty clinical laboratories and associated services across NSW. The second are our forensic services, which support police, the justice system and the coronial process.

Our dedicated staff of highly specialised doctors and scientists performs roughly 61 million tests each year and many of our facilities operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In fact, Every Australian receives their first pathology test just days after they're born. Half the Australian population will have a test this year – that's you or someone you love.Our pathologists and scientists are experts in diagnosing and supporting patients with the most complex and life-threatening conditions. This includes patients in our public hospital emergency departments and intensive care units. 70 per cent of medical decisions rely on pathology. Results from pathology tests, including blood tests and biopsies, give doctors the information they need to correctly diagnose and treat their patients. The majority of cancers are also diagnosed by specialist doctors – anatomical pathologists.

We may never meet the people working in laboratories behind the scenes, but they are a critical part of our healthcare system providing the answers that matter for all of us.