Roy Fisher raises this problem again
<<<......Our local problem is that we are setting up a joint reception for =
clinical chemistry and haematology in 4-6 weeks time. We have quite =
different policies on how we handle unlabelled samples. Clinical =
chemistry will not analyse these samples if received in a bag attached =
to a labelled form except in extreme circumstances. We always contact =
the doctor promptly and ask for another sample, then issue a report that =
this was an unlabelled sample and was not analysed. This policy has been =
notified to all doctors in our Trust for the past 2 years without any =
adverse comment.=20.........>>>>
IMHO
This is a Risk Management issue and you may find it helpful to
raise the problem of unlabelled specimens within your trust
in that context. In general you will find trust directors will support
a safe (and thus severe) policy.
We take a fairly draconian line locally that as a general rule all unlabelled
specimens will be discarded unanalysed. In the case of paediatric specimens
in a separate bag with a form we do invite the doctor to come over and complete
the
details and then report the sample as " specimen received unlabelled in
laboratory".
This policy has Trust Board support.
Sadly my impression is that the more lax the laboratory policy is the more
problems it
creates and the more unlabelled specimens it has to deal with. Perhaps a case
of being too
"helpful"? Possibly junior doctors and others need to learn that filling in
patient details is
yes tedious and boring but very very important.
I suspect this problem could be better addressd during staff induction.
certainly we very
rarely if ever have problems with specimens taken by trained phlebotomists.
James Falconer Smith
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