Quality (Ethos, User Sureys, Turn Around Times)

CDDFT Quality Statement

Patients and their welfare are at the centre of all CDDFT Laboratory practices and laboratories ensure that their practices continue to reflect the needs of the patient.

All tests performed by the laboratory on behalf of service users will be undertaken on the premise that the requestor has obtained the consent of the patient to do so and that they have the appropriate professional training and authority to do so. Requestors from outside the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) must seek appropriate consent within the guidelines and policies of their parent organisations.

CDDFT Laboratories provide an extensive repertoire of support diagnostic testing to service users. The quality and timeliness of our services are to the highest possible levels of testing proficiency and provide assurance to the patient and service users that the testing and interpretation has been undertaken by highly qualified and competent personnel.

Many drivers formulate laboratory practices and competence and include Local, National and International standards, guidelines and legislation requirements that are regularly assessed by independent organisations and professional bodies for compliance with requirements for quality and competence in practice. Although not exhaustive, the assessment organisations that measure laboratory compliance includes:

• The Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)
• Medicines and Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
• Human Tissue Authority (HTA)
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The laboratories always strive to maintain high quality and seek assurances from suppliers of materials, equipment and services to them, that they meet the required quality specifications and provide full and timely back up maintenance and support where and when needed.

We have a culture of continuous quality improvement and seek to ensure that our services continue to meet the expectations of service users and that they are developed with their end needs in mind. There is a commitment to horizon scanning to predict developments and trends and consider the factors that can influence outcome in these processes:

• Quality Management
• Laboratory Quality Elements
• Quality Indicators
• Quality Improvement
• Quality Control and Proficiency Testing
• Assessment, Regulation and Legislation
• Confidentiality
• Reference Ranges (Reference Intervals) and Critical Values
• Patient Safety
• Test Maintenance and Development
• Turnaround Times (TAT)
• Record Retention
• Business Continuity

The department welcomes all users comments and these can be emailed to the Quality Manager rebecca.sedman@nhs.net.

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