NHS pathology labs are ripe for privatisation and cuts

Our teams are involved with 70% of all NHS diagnoses but too few people understand what we do. I fear for the future

"Every sample is a patient ... Every sample is a patient ..."

I repeat it like a mantra, so that amid the relentless workload we don't lose sight of who we work for. We say it as we navigate crumbling floors - in one of our labs, a hole in the lino flooring has been patched up with heavy-duty gaffer tape.