Point of care testing (POCT) refers to any analytical test performed for a patient outside of the conventional pathology laboratory setting. The POCT team provides the service in wards and clinics within RSCH, PRH, RACH and SEH.
There are 200 ACCU-CHEK Inform II Glucose meters and 20 GEM 5000 Blood Gas Analysers around the Trust. Additional POCT devices include Ketones, INR, HbA1c and creatinine meters.
The POCT service provided by the team at UHSussex encompasses:
- Training staff in the use of all devices including patient testing, results look up and quality control (QC)
- Supply of consumables for POCT devices
- External Quality Assurance (EQA) schemes for POCT devices
- Maintenance and monitoring of POCT devices across the Trust
- Monitoring results and usage databases related to the different POCT devices across the Trust
- Advice on the selection and procurement of POCT equipment
Please report any faults to the team.
Training for the GEM 5000 blood gas analyser is available on IRIS, click the link or search “blood gas”. Access will be given upon completion of the course.
For all other devices, initial training must be in-person; please e-mail or phone to arrange. Our regular training sessions are run every Tuesday and Thursday 16:00 at RSCH and every Tuesday 14:00 at PRH. Training takes place in Point of Care, Pathology at both sites. These sessions are open to all staff, including bank and agency staff. Access to the devices will only be given once trained by the POCT team or by one of our approved link trainers in the wards. Please remember it is against trust policy to perform testing unless you have been trained. It is also against trust policy to share passwords and ID barcodes.
If your access has expired simply phone or e-mail us for reactivation. Refresher training is also available upon request.