IBMS Congress

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Quality and safety improvement for productivity gains across pathology

Quality Improvement & Patient Safety: Session 2

Education, Training & Management

Using lean methodology and concentrating on Quality& Safety by reduction of waste and elimination of defects has improved productivity across pathology services.

By getting teams to analyse data using SPC and using the lean principle of ‘right first time’, teams have collected defect data and calculated the costs of poor quality (COPQ) and by defect reduction have improved quality and therefore TAT’s.

Instead of applying resources to detecting and correcting problems at the end of the process by inspection, the emphasis on early detection and prevention of problems and root cause analysis, teams have been able to reallocate resources and improve productivity whilst increasing quality.

This presentation will highlight the proven successes across pathology

Histopathology supporting the 31/62 day Cancer targets

Nationally, there are approximately 80 million Histology samples taken per annum.
With a potential saving of £150K per site, across 175 sites could release £26 million as a part of the DH Pathology Programme

Cervical Screening to support 14 day TAT by 2010

Reduced 9.1 million days of waiting time.
Up to £18 million revenue saving per annum if applied throughout England.
Increased staff productivity by 25%.

Microbiology successes

90% reduction in Microbiology TAT – Stoke on Trent
21% reduction of inappropriate demand for urines – St Helens & Knowsley
Clostridium difficile: 76% reported on day of receipt

Transfusion Medicine

Reducing risk of knife to skin without results (currently 16%)

Blood Sciences

Error rate reduced from 20 to 3 on sample receipt /data entry (85% reduction)
Warfarin patients discharged early

For more information: www.improvement.nhs.uk