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Healthcare Science making an impact in the new NHS

Pathology & Industry Working in Partnership – 29 November 2012

Geoff Searle: iPP Chief ExecutiveSteven Yates: SPS General Manager

Background to partnership

• Opportunity for significant service redesign

• Proactive response to current environment

• Model driven by Process and Quality improvement

• Consistent with Carter Review

Process and outcome

• Formal procurement process – competitive dialogue

• Open discussions and site visits – helped with credibility on both sides

• Addressed the private sector ‘myths’ head-on

• Genuine collaboration of equals

• Resulting model is a good balance of risk/reward sharing

• Joint venture mechanism allows the network to rapidly expand to other Trusts

The model

• ‘Hub and spoke’ model

• Off-site hub

• On-site ESL

ESLs

• ESL – Essential Service Laboratory; services dictated by clinical need

• Based around Blood Transfusion with associated Blood Sciences and ‘acute’ Microbiology.

• ESL Staffing – intention to multi-skill, though recognition of need to balance flexibility with maintaining competency

Hub laboratory

• ‘Hub laboratory’ – refurbished facility designed around improved laboratory processes

• European commercial laboratory experience (LabCo)

• Intention to consolidate, rationalise and improve processes

• Co-locate services to maximise efficiency

Approach to staffing

• Re-engineered staffing model

• Extension of ‘Associate Practitioner’ role

• ‘Advanced Practitioners’ key

• Skills escalator from Band 2 to Band 8

Focus on quality

• Single Quality Management System

• ‘Exemplar Site’ for NHSi

• Focus on Qi as part of service redesign

Commercial in Confidence