National Health Laboratory Service

Overview

The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), is a national public entity established in terms of the National Health Laboratory Service Act 37 of 2000 to provide quality, affordable and sustainable health laboratory and related public health services to all public healthcare providers, other government institutions and any private healthcare provider in need of service. It services over 80% of the South African population across all nine provinces and it was mandated to support health research and provide training for health science education. It was designed to be a self-funded body raising funds from the diagnostic tests it provides for provincial health departments. The NHLS is the main provider of clinical support services to the national, provincial and local Departments of Health through its countrywide network of diagnostic laboratories. It conducts diagnostic tests, produces highly acclaimed research and provides teaching and training for medical technicians, medical technologists and pathologists. The NHLS also provides surveillance support for communicable diseases, occupational health and cancer, and thus, it endeavours to align its strategy to both the Department of Health priorities and the National and Regional Burden of Disease Surveillance. According to the strategic overview by National Treasury, the NHLS is the largest diagnostic pathology service in South Africa, with a network of approximately 226 pathology laboratories. The NHLS is responsible for most HIV and tuberculosis tests in the public health system and plays a critical role in screening for cervical cancer. HIV and TB treatment depend on accurate and timely tests. The NHLS is also responsible for COVID-19 testing. The vision of the NHLS is to provide high-quality pathology and laboratory services that are clinically efficient and cost-effective. Its mission is: to provide pathology and laboratory services through competent professionals and state-of-the-art technology, supported by evidence-based research, training and innovation; and to enhance integrated service delivery to meet the needs of the population. The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) is a national public entity established in terms of the National Health Laboratory Service Act, 2000 no. 37 of 2000 to provide for abolition of the South African Institute for Medical Research, the National Institute for Virology, the National Centre for Occupational Health, certain forensic chemistry laboratories and all provincial health laboratory services, and to provide for matters connected therewith. The objects of the NHLS are to (a) provide cost-effective and efficient health laboratory services to (i) all public sector health care providers; (ii) any other government institution inside and outside of the Republic that may require such service; and (iii) any private health care provider that requests such services; (b) support health research; and (c) provide training for health science education. The NHLS provides comprehensive pathology services to over 80 percent of the South African population across all nine provinces with a national network of over 233, including national. provincial tertiary, regionals and district laboratories and service depots. The laboratories are predominantly based in healthcare facilities with the diagnostic offering appropriate to the level of care of that facility (a tired service model). The NHLS plays a significant role in the diagnosis and monitoring of HIV and TB, which is one of the largest diagnostic programme in the world. It also provides surveillance support for communicable diseases, occupational health, and cancer, and thus, it endeavours to align its strategy to both the Department of Health priorities and the National and Regional Burden of Disease Surveillance. In addition, the NHLS, through its Forensic Chemistry Laboratories, provides testing of ante- and post-mortem blood for the presence of alcohol in suspected drunken driving cases, the testing of biological tissues and fluids in cases of suspected unnatural deaths, as well as the testing of food and cosmetics in terms of the Foodstuffs Act. The vision of the NHLS is to provide high-quality pathology and laboratory services that are clinically efficient and cost-effective. Its mission is: to provide pathology and laboratory services through competent professionals and state-of-the-art technology, supported by evidence-based research, training and innovation; and to enhance integrated service delivery to meet the needs of the population.