A £400,000 refurbishment of Airedale Hospital’s pathology department is under way to provide extra space so the team can cope with an increase in business and work more efficiently.

It is expected to be completed by August and is being carried out in nine phases so that the team can be fully operational throughout the process.

The new layout will separate the laboratories from administrative areas, improving the flow of work and include a more welcoming entrance, with a waiting area for visitors, so that the department is more accessible.

Near the entrance there will also be the department’s helpline service and four smaller offices for managers and consultants.

The refurbishment will also allow the team to have space for more automated equipment in the future.

Anne Crabtree, pathology operational manager at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are reconfiguring the department to allow us to make the best use of available space and cope with an increase in workload as more GPs are sending blood samples to us due to our rapid turnaround times and overall quality of service.

“It should allow us to continue to invest in more sophisticated equipment which will speed up our processes so that we can provide results even more quickly.”