INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENTS
A celebration of private healthcare in Manchester
Alison Benson and Joyce Overfield report on a recent meeting held with the IBMS President and Chief Executive by laboratory staff at Spire Pathology Services.
Laboratory medicine is often viewed as behind-the-scenes work, hidden away from the public eye. However, pathology is not a discipline that works in isolation, as it plays a vital role in the patient pathway, interacting with other hospital departments and specialties, and is directly involved in around 70% of patient diagnoses. Furthermore, the private healthcare sector co-exists successfully with the NHS, contributing to the UK healthcare system through its critical and complementary role.
Spire Healthcare Spire Healthcare was formed from the sale of BUPA hospitals in 2007. Currently, there are 38 hospitals, 12 clinics, two Specialist Care Centres and Perform at St George’s Park – an elite sports training centre. In 2008, Spire Healthcare won the Independent Healthcare award for ‘Best Healthcare Outcomes’, followed in 2009 and 2010 with the ‘Nursing Practice’ award. Spire Healthcare then won the ‘Innovation Award’ in 2011, before going
on to win, in 2012, the ‘Medical Practice’ award. In 2014 and 2015 Spire Healthcare won the ‘Private Hospital of the Year’ award at the prestigious ‘Health Investor’ awards. Spire Pathology Services (SPS) is one of
the UK‘s largest networks of independent pathology laboratories. In excess of 1.5 million tests per year are performed by the group, as well as for external customers including the NHS sector. The SPS network provides a range of services including biochemistry, haematology, blood transfusion, virology, microbiology, immunology, histopathology and cytopathology. The SPS network includes discipline-specific consultants who provide interpretation and advice to the laboratory staff and to the requesting clinicians. The SPS network boasts a 24/7 courier
service which includes overnight transport and delivery of pathology specimens across the UK to over 24 laboratory sites. All laboratories participate in the major UK quality assessment schemes, are accredited
by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) and/or are working towards United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) accreditation to meet the ISO 15189 standards. Due to open in January 2017 is a
£63 million, state-of-the-art Spire Healthcare hospital in South Manchester. The new hospital will be equipped to undertake enhanced services including highly complex surgery, hydrotherapy, a hybrid theatre and a 150-seat education centre.
Institute visit In March, the SPS laboratory at the current Manchester site was visited by IBMS President Ian Sturdgess and Chief Executive Jill Rodney. The current hospital celebrated its 35th birthday this year, having developed from a small convent hospital laboratory up to the early 1980s when it was taken over by BUPA. Representatives from Spire Healthcare
included Alison Benson, Spire Manchester Hospital Pathology Manager, and Joyce Overfield, Spire Montefiore Hospital Pathology Manager and IBMS National Council member. The idea behind this meeting was to bring
together colleagues from the independent healthcare sector and the IBMS, and showcase the work and development being undertaken within Spire Manchester Hospital. The agenda included a brief introduction followed by a tour of the laboratories and a meeting with staff. The visitors were impressed by the active
encouragement and enthusiasm for training and the participation in CPD, including completion of the IBMS Registration Portfolio by trainees, and the Certificate of Achievement Part II, which had been completed successfully in September 2015 by clinical service coordinator Zoe Rogers. Other aspects noted were the synergistic relationship between the NHS and SPS, which was highlighted as a valuable service provision. The afternoon was brought to a close by
Members of the Spire Pathology Services management and courier teams. THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENTIST AUGUST 2016
Joyce Overfield, who gave an excellent presentation in which she updated the biomedical science staff on the new IBMS CPD scheme and the requirements of CPD compliance for Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration.
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