Mathowa, Pathology providers are a mix of both public and...

Mathowa,

Pathology providers are a mix of both public and private The big private players are Sonic, Healius and clinical labs. 4cyte is growing rapidly but doesn't appear to be part of the Australian Pathology organisation. The largest two Public providers are NSW and QLD with NSW the larger. Victoria remains a fractured market. St Vincents have their own labs but are dwarfed by the two big public providers. It doesn't mean their trial isn't valuable but their purchase volume is less.

The largest two privates do more tests than NSWHP and offer a bigger market opportunity but NSWHP is a big deal. There are some influential signatories on the NSWHP synopsis posted earlier including the head of point of care (POC) testing and A/Prof Dwyer ( the guy that represented Australia in the Wuhan analysis). NSW and QLD public pathology have led the world in embracing POC testing and rhinoswab looks like it has demonstrated promise with POC involvement. We need to be realistic , reform in pathology, if it compromises income, will take longer than it should. Many suggest the privates were slow to embrace POC because of sunk costs in outdated mega lab systems, payment models and logistics. Labs are necessary but POC complements them and offers so much in rapid results and patient care. This is multiplied when considering the tyranny of Australian geography that sees samples transported over long distances to the mega labs. POC testing is securing far greater testing share despite early heavy resistance. Patient care must have primacy and highly accurate 15 minute turn around in the treating physicians hands is a huge leap over 1980s lab models. If the swab has greater efficacy, is easier for patients and safer for staff ( as quoted by NSWHP) then a swab has a very promising future.