Laboratory Reform Committee issues Laboratory Services Plan

The Laboratory Reform Committee (LRC) was established in response to the outcomes of negotiations for the 2012 Physician Master Agreement. The mandate of the LRC was to develop a plan to be submitted to the Government and the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) by no later than February 1, 2013 to:

a) achieve additional laboratory savings1 from outpatient laboratory services; and

b) achieve a more efficient integration of inpatient laboratory services that may include
the following:

• a single operating entity and governance structure to manage operations in the Vancouver and Fraser regions including single medical leadership;
• a provincial laboratory technology and test assessment process;
• ability to transition services and associated funding from the MSC payment schedule to an alternative payment arrangement and vice versa;
• a provincial plan for physician human resources;
• a single quality framework;
• the integration of actual services and facilities; and
• a timeline for achievement of the previously identified $18 million in annual savings.

The Laboratory Services Plan (the “Plan”) lays the foundation for enhancing the quality and delivery of laboratory services in British Columbia and provides the framework for more detailed planning, assessment and implementation of the LRC’s recommendations.

Click here to download a a copy of the final report (pdf).