A TRADE union has objected to draft proposals which could see the Royal Blackburn Hospital lose its dedicated pathology laboratory.

Unite's regional officer Keith Hutson said for NHS bosses consider the plan during the current coronavirus pandemic was 'a stab in the back' to staff analysing Covid-19 tests.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire and South Cumbria Pathology Collaboration confirmed a proposal to merge the laboratories at the hospitals in Blackburn, Blackpool, Lancaster and Preston into fewer sites was in its early stages but no decisions would be taken until the coronavirus crisis was over.

Previous proposals to move the RBH laboratory to Oldham and Preston in 2014 and 2017 and to create a 'super-lab' in Lancaster last year came to nothing.

The four sites affected employ 200 pathologists and associated scientific experts.

Mr Hutson said: "Unite calls upon this project to cease until the Covid-19 crisis has ended.

"When it is appropriate Unite, if necessary, will move to immediately ballot its members for industrial action.

“NHS bosses are using the pandemic to reintroduce this flawed plan under the radar which will increase the times for processing samples. Our members who have given their all during this crisis feel the deliberate lack of consultation is a stab in the back."

The Lancashire and South Cumbria Pathology Collaboration spokeswoman said: "There is a plan to to look at concentrating pathology laboratory resources at fewer sites. It is in its very early stages and currently on hold.

"Nothing will happen until the current coronavirus outbreak is over."