NHS Wales streamlines test sample processing

GPs and nurses across Wales are to switch to using printed labels and barcodes when they send test samples to the lab for analysis.

Hand-written request forms and labels will be phased out over the next six months under an initiative from Informing Healthcare Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government programme set up to modernise the NHS.

Informing Healthcare says the labeled samples are easier for staff at the pathology laboratory to understand, with no smudging or illegible scripts to decipher. Patients benefit as appointment times are shorter, the information provided to the lab is accurate and requests are processed more efficiently.

Ian Kelsall, chairman of Informing Healthcare, commented: “This is a simple idea that works well and delivers major benefit to staff and patients.”

Informing Healthcare has funded new label printers and specialist label software for the country’s 500 GP practices, following a trial at 10 surgeries in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area, and at eight practices using the Barry Blood Service.

The information printed on the labels, which includes details, such as the patient’s NHS number and name and the GP’s address is taken directly from the GP’s computer system.

One practice manager commented, said: “Our nurses love it and they would not want to go back to hand-writing labels.”

Other comments included: “The labels really help to speed up appointments in phlebotomy (blood test) clinics” and, “We are fitting 50% more patients into the allotted clinic time.”

Informing Healthcare says the new system, supplied by Codegate Ltd, will also help to improve data quality.