Managing demand for pathology tests: financial imperative or duty of care?

The latest laboratory workload figures have been the subject of many a corridor discussion, management meeting or national forum. Most clinical laboratories continue to see 8–10% increases in workload year on year, usually without increases in budgets to match. With the global ‘credit crunch’, it becomes even more relevant that national health service (NHS) organizations deliver evidence-based practice, provide value for money and reduce waste.