Dear all,

Please find attached the IBMS labelling document which quotes the NHS Operating Framework 2008/9 (P.36) document (also attached) which states

•        “effective information governance and mandated use of the NHS Number in all relevant administrative and clinical systems; “

I haven’t read the whole of the framework document and also have not checked if there is a more up to date IBMS document.

Regards

Jeff

Jeff Slater   Consultant Clinical Scientist (Retd)

Thank you for highlighting this issue for manual requesting.  There are two issues: sample identification and request identification.  Regarding sample labelling I believe that asking for more identification than the patient can provide at the time of phlebotomy makes things worse, not better.  I would rather patients were asked for their name and date of birth and this information is transcribed onto the sample container.

Recently, there has been an initiative to get four point matching between sample and request and check this at pathology reception.  I disagree with this, because it increases the chances that the sample has been labelled by copying data from the request form and not by asking the patient.  Of course automated inpatient wristband scanning and label generation at the bedside makes a difference, but for manual requests I would rather we always ask the patient for something that they can tell us - first name, surname, date of birth.  I care more about labelling the sample to the patient than to the request form.  Of course we need NHS number on the request form to make the cumulative record work and keep the patient records straight, but in my view it is a mistake to insist on labelling requirements to distinguish samples in a bag attached to a request form are the same as those important details necessary to distinguish members of the whole population.

Kind regards

Andrew

From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bradbury Wayne (RNL) North Cumbria University Hospitals
Sent: 08 May 2015 16:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sample acceptance policy

One of the findings at our recent UKAS inspection was a requirement for three pieces of ‘unique identifiers’ on all samples.

Our assessor counted the full name as one and stipulated that we need a date of birth AND an NHS number or hospital number.

We have been counting surname and forename as two identifiers and not insisting on an NHS or hospital number.

I see this creating difficulties for our users who do not have access to our ICE order comms system which generates sample labels

which contain all this information e.g. district nurses, locums, A/E staff. It’s also not very practical on paediatric bottles.

The UKAS assessor has quoted the ‘NHS Operating Framework 2008/9’ as mandating the use of NHS number.

Has our UKAS assessor got in right?

Do you all reject samples without an NHS or hospital number? (CHI number for you Scots).

Thanks,

Wayne.  

Mr WH Bradbury FRCPath

Consultant Biochemist / Head of Blood Sciences,

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust,

Cumberland Infirmary,

CARLISLE, CA2 7HY.

Tel:     01228 814521                  Fax:    01228 814831

The NCUHT Pathology Handbook can be found here

For general information on tests see Lab Tests Online

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------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 Green Laboratories Work http://www.laboratorymedicine.nhs.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/