Interesting to compare and contrast..... If you go to the bank and the cheques not signed, they don't pay it! with When we enter a public service, we enter a place where we are not buyers or sellers but something much more precious. We are citizens. We are fellow human beings who need each other. Something to ponder indeed. Chris -----Original Message----- From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Reeves Christopher (RW3) CMFT Manchester Sent: 02 October 2009 16:18 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Specimens from unknown location Sorry Louise, as a new starter in my current Trust I'm no fully aware of our protocol but I'd guess all labs will do something slightly different, even different disciplines (biochem, haem) within the same Trust from previous experience, but with more labs processing them than not, certainly for routine tests. Also with hospital patient information systems some receive data on the basis of the 'hospital number' and names only and don't require or even display a requesting location. Therefore requestors don't have the need to state a location as they can have access the results regardless (and as for paper reports chasing patients round a hospital days later, that's a whole other debate. Printing hard copy reports for Unknown locations just serves as a means of auditing on a monthly basis - by height or weight of the pile!) The same issue applies to accurate patient identifiers, see http://www.npsa.nhs.uk/corporate/news/nhsnumber (and I KNOW that NOT every person in the country has an NHS number but 99.x% probably do and there are ways to overcome the small minority). I think it's time we as the laboratory community adopted a more robust stand on these issues, but we have traditionally bent over backwards 'because there is a real patient involved', giving ourselves many logistical, administrative and clinical problems along the way. The light at the end of the tunnel maybe that ward order comms from both hospitals and GPs should make things better by automatically providing (some) of this information. I don't known that pharmacy would release medicines to an unknown location or a dubiously identified patient. Plus who do you charge if you don't know where to send the 'bill'? And on the subject of money, as a former colleague used to say 'If you go to the bank and the cheques not signed, they don't pay it!' Have a good weekend all, Chris Chris Reeves Principal Clincial Biochemist Dept of Clinical Biochemistry Manchester Royal Infirmary Oxford Road Manchester M13 9WL Tel: 0161 701 1206 Internal: 11206 The views expressed above are a personal opinon and do not necessarily reflect those of the Trust, the Department, or even my colleagues and friends. _____ From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tilbrook Louise (Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust) Sent: 02 October 2009 14:16 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Specimens from unknown location Just something to ponder on a Friday afternoon: We are currently debating how we should deal with specimens when the request form does not specify a user or location (ie we have no means of knowing where to send the report). At present we book them into our system using a default code and analyse them (often including work which is referred elsewhere). Then if a user phones up for the results then we can take their details and issue an amended report. I was just curious to know what the practice is in other labs - do people always accept such specimens and analyse them, or is there a case for saving specimens un-analysed (at least for the more expensive tests)? Our concern is that the majority of these reports go unviewed and are not acted upon - contributing to the waste inherent in our service. Your thoughts and opinions would be welcome. Kind regards Louise Tilbrook Louise Tilbrook Principal Clinical Scientist Dept of Clinical Biochemistry Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust Chelmsford CM1 7ET 01245 515036 07919 016847 ******************************************************************************************************************** This message may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient please inform the sender that you have received the message in error before deleting it. Please do not disclose, copy or distribute information in this e-mail or take any action in reliance on its contents: to do so is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Thank you for your co-operation. NHSmail is the secure email and directory service available for all NHS staff in England and Scotland NHSmail is approved for exchanging patient data and other sensitive information with NHSmail and GSI recipients NHSmail provides an email address for your career in the NHS and can be accessed anywhere For more information and to find out how you can switch, visit www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/nhsmail ******************************************************************************************************************** _____ This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared by MailMarshal _____ ------ACB discussion List Information-------- This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical community working in clinical biochemistry. Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and they are responsible for all message content. ACB Web Site http://www.acb.org.uk List Archives http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html List Instructions (How to leave etc.) http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ ------ACB discussion List Information-------- This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical community working in clinical biochemistry. Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and they are responsible for all message content. ACB Web Site http://www.acb.org.uk List Archives http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html List Instructions (How to leave etc.) http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ This communication, together with any files or attachments transmitted with it contains information which is confidential and may be subject to legal privilege and is intended solely for the use by the person(s) or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you must not copy, distribute, publish or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this communication in error, please notify [log in to unmask] and delete it from your computer systems. Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust reserves the right to monitor all communications for lawful purposes. Receipt of this email does not imply consent to use or provide this email address, or any others contained therein, to any third party for any purposes. The contents of this email are protected under international copyright law. To save energy and paper please print this email only if you really need to. _____________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned for viruses using antivirus software by Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. Whilst every care is taken to avoid the transmission of virus code; please ensure that you have up to date virus detection software before opening any E-mail messages or attachments ______________________________________________________________________________ ------ACB discussion List Information-------- This is an open discussion list for the academic and clinical community working in clinical biochemistry. Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and they are responsible for all message content. ACB Web Site http://www.acb.org.uk List Archives http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN.html List Instructions (How to leave etc.) http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/