Key facts
- The closure affects about 400 pathology staff across Mater's Brisbane and Springfield hospitals.
- The hospital said it would outsource testing to external providers, including Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology and Pathology Queensland.
- A hospital spokesperson said a review found the current pathology operating model was not sustainable.
Mater Health, which operates major hospitals in Brisbane and Springfield, will permanently close its in-house pathology laboratories and outsource testing to external providers, a spokesperson said. The decision affects about 400 staff and follows the closure of the Brisbane anatomical pathology laboratory on September 24, 2026, after a worker's exposure sample exceeded workplace safety limits.
The hospital said the laboratory was closed after a worker returned a result above the occupational exposure standard for a chemical used in tissue testing. The spokesperson said an investigation into the abnormal result is ongoing and that reopening the laboratory would require significant long-term infrastructure investment.
The spokesperson said the outsourcing would not affect patient care and would allow more resources to be directed to clinical services. Queensland Health said it would continue to work with Mater to ensure patients have access to pathology services. The United Workers Union said staff could lose income and conditions if redeployment opportunities are not available.