LABORATORY MANAGEMENT
We’ve had to meet with GPs and adjust how we communicate, because they felt they were unaware of some of the changes with regards to reference ranges. We did webinars. We did bulletins. We did comms. We did leaflets to every practice to tell them when, what; but still people didn’t see or hear the comms. We learned lessons with the ICB because they were interested as it’s a major exercise and some of the lumps and bumps have disrupted the service for a period of time. So we try to forewarn them, we ask them not to do heavy bleeding during a particular week. So we have learned lots of valuable lessons. One of the lessons we’ve learned is not to shout about quality just yet. We’re on the verge of great things, we’re nearly there and it’s going to be fantastic. But we have to make sure we’re comfortable as a network with the new technology. Which will take time – I think anyone in pathology knows this – it is an 18-month programme.
Increasing the number of samples arriving at the laboratory in pre-loaded trays will help realise the full automation benefits.
So by transforming how we work and understanding those patients that have unexpected, abnormal results that are suggestive of something worrying – we can focus more on that. But you also want to get a result to patients who are worrying if they’re alright. And we can do that so that the patient sees the benefit of our efficient processes, because we can publish the normal results really quickly. In pathology, we have the ability to influence that; but if we just stay in our work and do what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we always got. During COVID, we broke that mould – patients got used to getting their result straight away. If you’ve got the NHS app, you can look at your blood results, you can look at your prescriptions. So as a laboratory provider and a service provider, it’s our job to reflect that is where we’re going.
PiP: What are the next steps for the new technology here at Croydon? SB: We’re at the point now where we’ve got the capability to fully automate samples – including those that come in from outside the hospital, for example from the GP surgeries we work with. The capabilities are here with this contract and this equipment from Beckman Coulter. We’ve got the drive and the desire, we’ve got the IT; I think the building blocks are there.
Now we need engagement with primary care to design that workflow with them. If we’re asking GP surgeries and healthcare professionals taking the samples to work in a different way, use
different tubes and different boxes, we have to work with them to design the processes.
All these teams run with a lot of
pressure, I know firsthand as we’ve visited all the GP practices. There are over 350 local to our hospitals. We will look to pilot schemes this year – choose the right partners and ask them to join us on this innovation because they’ll see every patient sample be fully tracked and get a predictable journey time.
PiP: What are the lessons learned and what are the next steps for the project? SB: Right now we have a full programme plan, we know every site and have a timeline for all our blood sciences laboratories. That’s been worked out and resourced with Beckman Coulter and the plan is to be live on all sites by December this year. We have the designs signed off for all sites and a robust structure to get old equipment out and new equipment in when we need it. I’m confident we’ve got a strong plan. Kingston is the next site, for which we have a training programme all set up too.
Each site has a different challenge,
Croydon’s was that it was first in everything, Kingston will be a major refurbishment programme, St Helier’s is one of space.
Communicating with our teams and letting them have an input has been key. Exactly the same solution that we’ve used here in Croydon won’t work at Kingston, because the teams are different, the workloads are different and you need the buy in from the staff on the ground.
WWW.PATHOLOGYINPRACTICE.COM OCTOBER 2025
PiP: How do you see the relationship with Beckman Coulter? SB: In the past we’ve been in ten-year contracts, and invariably when a contract is new, it’s all lovely. And then you get really hurt at the end of the contract when the kit’s wearing out. So what we’ve done with Beckman Coulter is chosen a partner which is going to share the ownership. The reality is that we are going to have to deliver this service and maintain it, so we want a flexible partner who would share that responsibility and give us confidence that it’ll help us deliver. This is a big commitment from SWLP, but it’s massive from Beckman Coulter as well. We’re really fortunate that the technology is fantastic, but we’ve also got a partner who gets us. We’ve written into the contract, if there’s new innovation, we get a chance at it. We’re an ambitious network, we’re going to grow and so we need flexibility.
Simon Brewer BSC (Hons), CSci, FIBMS is Managing Director of South West London Pathology. A registered biomedical scientist with over 20
years’ experience in pathology services both within the NHS and private sector, Simon also has 10 years’ experience of management consultancy working with several pathology networks and services across the UK and Europe. As Managing Director at SWLP he leads on strategic direction of pathology services, continual service improvements, operational performance and service user engagement and experience.
www.swlpath.nhs.uk
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