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Resuscitation with Pre-Hospital Blood Products (RePHILL) trial

Many reports have demonstrated the correlation between good team working and better outcomes. This talk explores the value of civility and the cost to our patients of rudeness in the workplace.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 has been the most clinically significant STEC serotype in the UK for over four decades. However, over the last 10 years we have observed a decrease in STEC O157:H7 and an increase in non-O157 STEC serotypes, such as O26:H11. Little is known about the microbiology and epidemiology of non-O157 STEC. This presentation describes the virulence, clinical outcomes and epidemiology of non-O157 STEC, focusing on the most commonly detected serotype, STEC O26:H11.

A variety of virtual ward services are delivered across Oxfordshire through collaboration of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, and Principal Medical Ltd (PML) a GP led service. They include Hospital at Home, Children’s Virtual Ward (jointly with OHFT), Acute & Community Palliative/End of Life Care (Community – Sue Ryder Care).

The Point of Care Testing (PoCT) team at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust has supported the development and delivery of PoCT in community and ambulatory settings over the past 10 years.

Using a model developed around the requirements of ambulatory medicine; this has been delivered with limited resource, focussing on utilising existing resources wherever possible.

Commencing with the Acute Hospital at Home, the service has been successfully expanded to support mobile PoCT across Oxfordshire.

The laboratory acts as the distributor of instruments and supplies; facilitates connectivity, and testing, and coordinates delivery of training through a combination of remote and cascade routes.

Device selection and repertoire has been standardised. Up to this point mobile services have been limited to use of the Abbott i-Stat & Alinity systems (electrolytes/metabolites/blood gas). However, Hospital at Home, and other mobile services are requesting a greater repertoire of tests, particularly CRP. The LumiraDx platform provides us with an option for CRP that is portable, easy to operate, connectable and robust.

Challenges remain around connectivity and information management. This has been exacerbated by the cross-organisational nature of these services leading to the management of patients through multiple IT systems; and led to the development of indirect routes for result entry into the patient record.

Whilst we have been able to deliver connectivity in two rapid response vehicles, this was not a scalable solution and mobile devices are docked at the base location on return from visits.

The IBMS's view of ISO 15189:2022

ISO15189:2012 had reached its periodic review date and there was international consensus that it needed revision. The new version was published on 6th December 2022 and there are some key changes which include an emphasis on a patient-focused approach and to promote the welfare of patients - i.e. putting the patient at the heart of the service. There is also more emphasis on a risk based approach to the Quality Management system. In addition ISO 22870 (POCT) has been incorporated into ISO 15189:2022.

This presentation will review POCT definitions, highlight key considerations for currently accredited POCT services and also for organisations considering applying for accreditation to include (or extend) POCT in their scope.

POCT is referenced implicitly throughout ISO 15189:2022 and with additional distinct requirements as an Annex A.

The presentation will discuss generic POCT services, and highlight considerations on both current POCT services and also emphasise considerations for planning new POCT services, and that overall, when compared with ISO 22870:2016, things have not changed as much as one would think. Principles are similar, and POCT could even be considered as another specialty within pathology, regardless of where it is or managed from.

Transfusion outside the NHS – jobs for Biomedical Scientists

Validation and Verification Workshop

What’s new in antivirals? (Antivirals & Mabs as therapeutics)

Problems can happen when we least expect them. Loss of a key building, a cyber-attack or a system failure, interruption to a utility supply, severe weather, critical equipment failure, supply chain disruption or even a significant loss of staff. Sooner or later every organization will need to deal with issues like these and if there's no plan the outcomes could be far worse than they need to be. This is why services must maintain a critical incident response plan and a wide range of business continuity plans, having a structured approach for managing these unplanned disruptions.

Business continuity planning is just one part of a much bigger risk management process. We prepare for emergencies, not just because we're legally required to do so, but because patients, donors, and the wider NHS rely on our services being available every day.

There are four main scenarios all good business continuity plans should consider:

Loss of staff
Loss of the workplace
Loss of equipment and consumables and
Loss of ICT systems
The process should be one of a cycle of preparedness including

Risk Management or identification
Planning
Training
Exercising
Lessons identified