FERTILITY expert and television presenter Lord Robert Winston has opened Southampton General Hospital's redeveloped cellular pathology department.

During his visit Lord Winston gave a lunchtime lecture to hospital staff before touring the laboratories and declaring the department open.

The project cost

£4.7m and took two and a half years to complete.

The department specialises in diagnosing disease through the microscopic study of body tissues and fluids and examines 29,000 samples a year.

It employs about 100 staff, including doctors, biomedical scientists, technical and office workers.