Northern Ireland NHS Completes CoreLIMS Rollout Across Pathology Services
Every pathology service within Northern Ireland’s NHS has now fully adopted the Core Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), marking a significant advancement in modernising laboratory operations across the region.
The Western and Southern Health and Social Care Trusts have recently deployed LIMS – built on the Clinisys WinPath system—within their microbiology, blood sciences, and blood transfusion services.
These trusts had already integrated the system into cellular pathology during an earlier phase of the CoreLIMS programme, which aims to extend the platform across all five territorial trusts and the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service.
Modernising Pathology Infrastructure
Previously, both trusts relied on a 30-year-old system developed by the Business Services Organisation (BSO) that had reached the end of its lifecycle.
The CoreLIMS initiative, also developed by BSO, has been designed to replace outdated in-house and legacy systems with a state-of-the-art laboratory information management system, tailored to meet the needs of contemporary pathology networks.
A Milestone for Healthcare Transformation
Jennifer Welsh, senior responsible owner of the Northern Ireland Pathology Information Management System (NIPIMS), emphasised the significance of this rollout:
“The completion of the CoreLIMS rollout marks a major milestone in the transformation of pathology services across Northern Ireland.
“For the first time, every health and social care trust is working from the same modern laboratory system, creating a truly connected service that puts patients first. This achievement is the result of exceptional teamwork across trusts, especially our laboratories as well as our partners, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who played a part.
“With this foundation in place, we can now look forward to delivering even greater benefits—from reducing repeat testing to supporting clinicians with faster, more complete information, and eventually enabling innovations like vein-to-vein tracking. It’s a proud moment for all involved.”
The Future of Pathology Services in Northern Ireland
With CoreLIMS now fully operational, the region’s healthcare infrastructure is positioned for further efficiency gains, improved data sharing, and greater diagnostic accuracy, ensuring that pathology services remain at the forefront of patient care and medical innovation.
