The measurable impact and benefits of automation in molecular laboratories

With increasing diagnostic demands, laboratories are looking to the benefits of automation to enhance efficiency and capacity. Jay Moorcroft, Virology Manager at Liverpool Clinical Laboratories (LCL), has firsthand experience navigating the complexities of lab automation, overcoming challenges, optimizing workflows, and enhancing both efficiency and staff engagement.

Following the successful implementation of automation, LCL has seen dramatic improvements in turnaround times, error reduction, and workforce optimization. But beyond the numbers, automation has reshaped how lab professionals work, freeing biomedical scientists from repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus on higher-value contributions.

Jay Moorcroft shares her key insights and lessons for lab leaders considering automation, covering its tangible impact, unexpected benefits, and how it has future-proofed LCL’s operations.

Q:  Has automation helped resolve the challenges you initially faced? Have you tracked measurable improvements, such as turnaround time, cost per test, or staffing efficiencies?

Jay Moorcroft:  Absolutely. A major improvement has been in our transplant assays. We're transitioning from an aging in-house PCR system to a more targeted, automated approach that aligns with updated guidelines. Instead of running multiplex tests where not all the results will be of clinical significance, we will now deliver only what's needed, improving efficiency and clinical relevance.

Automation has also allowed us to shift work from outdated equipment, reallocating tasks to laboratory practitioners and beginning to free up biomedical scientists for advanced areas like sequencing and innovation.

Another success has been securing a new sexual health contract. While it added thousands of tests, the benefits of automation allowed the workload to be absorbed seamlessly. This is something our old systems couldn’t have handled. This boost in capacity has strengthened our reputation and ability to take on more.

Previously, service delays frustrated our sexual health colleagues. To address this, we held a rapid improvement event, engaging consultants to understand their needs and showcase how automation would enhance workflows. The impact has been game changing. We went from a 10 to 12 day turnaround (which was further hampered by the pandemic) to a deliverable 24-hour turnaround, but for some clinics, the majority of results are now delivered the same day. Patients receive negative results via text within hours, significantly improving both service quality and our relationship with the clinics. There's now a real sense of trust, collaboration, and responsiveness between our teams.

We also reassessed cost-per-test pricing. Since we were changing our approach, we engaged with service users to adjust pricing accordingly. This made it more competitive with neighboring trust laboratories while ensuring sustainability.

Automation also gave us the capacity to take on new contracts without feeling the strain—something that would have been impossible before. That ability to scale seamlessly has strengthened our reputation and built confidence in what we can deliver.

Q: Looking back at the initial hesitancy among your staff, what’s their perspective now? Do they feel they were overly cautious, or has automation had a real impact on their day-to-day work? 

Jay Moorcroft: Overall, the feedback has been positive, people enjoy using the system. That said, one challenge that has come up, especially during our trust’s recent critical incident due to high flu cases and emergency department pressures, is the lack of a true "stat" option. Unlike our previous platforms, where we could load a single urgent sample and get results in four to six hours, the new system is batch-based.

For all the benefits in capacity, efficiency, and automation, that ability to quickly process a single urgent sample is something staff occasionally miss. The testing itself takes the same amount of time, but now, urgent samples may sit in a queue before processing. While we can prioritize runs, it’s not quite the same as having that immediate, one-off testing capability.

That said, aside from this, the team has fully embraced the system. Many say they can’t believe how quickly it’s become second nature. It already feels like it’s been part of the lab forever, seamlessly integrated into daily operations.

Q: Many lab professionals worry that automation will replace jobs. Do you think that initial fear has disappeared now that your team has seen it in action?

Jay Moorcroft: I wouldn’t say the fear is completely gone—some people may still have concerns but aren’t vocal about them. However, for the most part, seeing automation in action has eased those worries. The key difference is that automation hasn’t eliminated roles; it has freed up staff to develop new skills and take on different responsibilities.

For example, we’ve had team members transition from molecular work into blood sciences and serology. Having experience with automation made that move much less intimidating. While molecular processes take hours, chemistry workflows run in minutes, making it a much faster-paced environment. Because they were already familiar with automation, adapting to a different setting felt more manageable.

Ultimately, automation hasn’t replaced people; it has made their roles more dynamic. Until AI evolves to the point where labs run themselves, there will always be a need for skilled staff. And honestly, if that day ever comes, I’d happily put my feet up and enjoy the ride!

Q: How do you see the lab evolving? You’ve mentioned plans to move transplant assays and the potential role of AI—are there any other opportunities for expanding process optimization?

Jay Moorcroft: In an ideal world, I’d love to see our serology and molecular work areas fully integrated, creating a seamless transition between processes. Unfortunately, the physical layout of our lab prevents that, with microbiology positioned between them. If we ever had the opportunity to redesign the space, it would be a game-changer in terms of efficiency and workflow optimization.

Beyond infrastructure, the pandemic has increased awareness of molecular testing among clinicians. More of our clinical colleagues now understand PCR and CT values, which has led to greater engagement with the lab’s capabilities—further highlighting the benefits of automation in streamlining complex diagnostic processes. This shift presents an opportunity to expand what we bring onto our automation platform, where it can truly improve patient outcomes.

Sexual health is a key area for us, and I see potential for further innovation there. Imagine a patient providing a single swab and receiving a comprehensive set of results, a full health check in one go. Enhancing the patient experience while maintaining high clinical standards is where the real future lies.

Q: Do you see molecular process optimization expanding into other areas of the lab, or will the focus remain on sexual health and transplant testing for now?

Jay Moorcroft: Process optimization will always be something we consider as we look to improve efficiency and expand our testing capabilities. The more we integrate automation, the more our test development and portfolio align with the direction we want to take.

There’s always the question of how process optimization can enhance what we do. From our experience with front-loading, we know that having control over pre-analytical processes ensures everything runs smoothly and efficiently. When workflows are optimized correctly, automation becomes a true walk-away system, with intelligent software managing processes seamlessly—as long as we continue doing our part correctly.

Q: If you had to summarize in one sentence what process optimization has done for your lab, how would you put it?

Jay Moorcroft: It has allowed us to innovate, adapt, continuously improve, and embrace change without fear of failure—ensuring that while we do the hard work behind the scenes, the patient experiences a seamless, high-quality service.

If you’re a lab leader thinking of automation, Jay’s final words were, “trust in the process and jump in with both feet.”

To learn more about the impact automation has had on LCL, check out part 1 of our conversation with Jay here.