Transcript Shropshire_Phlebotomy_Service_Reconfiguration_Project

Shropshire Phlebotomy Service Reconfiguration Project
Helen Harvey
Mission: To improve patient access to phlebotomy services
Vision: To provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time, delivered by the right people
Background
•In 2009/10 14,000 primary care patients travelled to the hospital site to access a phlebotomy service.
•Demand is growing, putting the current drop-in service under severe pressure.
•There is no current Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Trust and Shropshire County PCT for this service.
Begin with the End in Mind
Achievements to Date
•Create a innovative community based
service for all GP patients requiring blood tests
(hub & spoke model).
•Seek First to Understand: we conducted
a series of surveys, inviting patients, staff,
service users and GP’s to tell us what was
important to them.
•Ensure the service is provided by the Trusts
phlebotomists, to maintain the quality of the
service for the benefit of patients and reduce
error rates.
•Improve service productivity, by moving to
an appointment system, thereby smoothing
workflow.
•Negotiate a new SLA agreement between the
Trust and PCT, to reduce the level of Trust
resources currently allocated to supporting
this service for benefit of primary care patients.
•Relocate the phlebotomy out-patients
department, closer to out-patient clinics.
•And then be understood: we went out to
talk to GP consortia, sharing our vision for
the future of the service and asking them
for feedback on our proposals. We also
shared our vision with the phlebotomy
team and have held regular briefings to
keep them informed.
•Think win/win: we have opened SLA
negotiations with the PCT. They are also
keen to move the service into General
Practice and agree with the idea of
introducing an appointment system (CAB).
Why it matters
•Move care closer to home: Patients will be
able to access a phlebotomy service in their
local area.
•The appointment system will reduce waiting
times for patients and smooth workflow.
• The new SLA will mean that the Trust can
re-direct some of its funds to improve inpatients services on the wards, by
introducing a second daily ward round and
introducing an on-call phlebotomist for urgent
bloods. This will reduce pressures on other
healthcare staff (medics & nurses.
•Relocating the phlebotomy department will
mean that patients won’t have to walk from
one end of the hospital to the other.
•The vacated area will be redeveloped to
enabling the centralisation of Pathology.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to the Project Team: Alison Fowles (Phlebotomy Manager), Sarah Faulkner (Business Assistant), Hannah Roy (Patient and Public Engagement Manager), Alison Jones (GP Liaison Manager), Shaun Taylor (Contracting) and Dianne Lloyd (SDU Manager)