Overview

• The backlog in histology results is concentrated at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, with fewer cases elsewhere.
• The Gauteng Department of Health convened specialists and escalated concerns to NHLS leadership, leading to a new multidisciplinary task team announced on 23 September.
• The task team will prioritise delayed cases and assess short‑term support from private pathologists to speed up turnaround times.
• Officials are exploring the creation of a provincial laboratory to fast‑track specimen processing and reduce reliance on the NHLS.
• Clinical services continue for cancer patients, including radiation oncology, and other pathology sites such as Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital report no backlogs.