Up to 1,100 jobs are set to be created through the launch of a multimillion-pound regional Lighthouse Laboratory and Covid hub in the North East.
Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle City Council have announced plans for the laboratory on Tyneside which will serve the North East, north Cumbria, Yorkshire and Humber.
It marks the latest expansion of the Government’s national Test and Trace programme and aims to deliver high-volume, rapid turnaround of Covid-19 tests.
The development, approved by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, aims to strengthen the region’s resilience and response in controlling coronavirus, as well as creating 1,100 jobs on Tyneside.
In addition to the Lighthouse laboratory, which will be based in Gateshead, a specialist innovation lab is also planned for Newcastle’s Helix site.
The integrated Covid hub will link testing and results into clinical data systems used by hospitals and will be part of the national Test and Trace system, as well as increase local resilience for rapid outbreak response.
The project is a partnership between the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle City Council, together with public health teams, local universities and industry, and will build upon Newcastle Hospitals’ international reputation for life sciences and innovation, and its strong track record for delivering projects on this scale.
Chief executive Dame Jackie Daniel said: “This is an exciting and important investment in the North East, which will create 1,100 public sector jobs.
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“The collective effort in combating the pandemic to date has been outstanding and owes much to the excellence of services, partnership working and also the public playing their part in minimising the spread of the virus.
“We know that testing and tracing will continue to be a key pillar of the national strategy to protect the NHS and save lives, as well as supporting the economy. Our integrated Covid hub will be a major step in ensuring we are strongest position to deal with the ongoing pressures of the pandemic.”
The hub, which is set to launch in December, will include the Lighthouse laboratory at Baltic Park in Gateshead, where results reporting will be integrated into the national Test and Trace system and electronic care records, so they are immediately available to individuals who have been tested, as well as public health and clinical staff.
The lab will supplement and work closely with existing labs.
Coun Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council said: “Throughout this pandemic the strength of the partnerships has shone brightly and the co-operation between our hospitals, council and universities has seen this innovative plan develop quickly.
“Crucially this investment will bring 1,100 high-quality jobs to Tyneside; once again highlighting that Newcastle is a modern, digital first city that has world class infrastructure, talent and technology to deliver these developments.
“We know that there are difficult times ahead and many sectors across the region will be impacted; providing new opportunities to our residents and investment in the city are key aspects of our recovery from the pandemic.
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“Newcastle is an ambitious, resilient city and announcements like this will help our city bounce back from the pandemic.”
Eugene Milne, Newcastle’s Director of Public Health, said: “This new facility will bring together the expertise of public health, the NHS and our universities. The work done here will play a critical role not only in dealing with COVID-19 a but also to support work to identify, prevent and deal with any future pandemics.”