FEATURE ARTICLES

Earlier this summer, CliniSys brought together representatives from 15 pathology service networks across England to participate in a one-day workshop in Birmingham.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Birmingham, was the venue for the recent meeting of the British Blood Transfusion Society Hospital Transfusion Special Interest Group. Barry Hill was there to report on the highlights. (Image courtesy of GE Healthcare)

One of the UK’s flagship NHS hospital laboratories is developing a unique approach to auto-receipting of hospital and GP requests, made possible by its collaboration with managed service partner Beckman Coulter.

A German pathology provider, synlab, is attempting to establish itself in the UK. Here, Hugh Risebrow provides an overview of European pathology provision, and how this could inform UK thinking on the subject.

Ever since the dawn of the antibiotic age, bacteria have adapted by developing new resistance mechanisms to antimicrobial agents. Mast remains at the forefront of the fight against these threats to effective antimicrobial therapy.

The latest point-of-care system from Roche is helping to improve monitoring and care of critically ill patients at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust in the West Midlands.

The internet has made it possible to achieve virtually instant global communication. Now, routine microscopy has entered the digital world with the introduction of the latest equipment from Sakura Finetek.

On the 50th anniversary of the development of prosthetic hip replacement, Amanda Parkin examines Professor Sir John Charnley’s influence on orthopaedic surgery, and explains how his realisation that keeping bacteria away from the wound during the procedure is key to minimising the risk of infection.

Man versus machine was the focus of a joint meeting of the UK NEQAS (BTLP) and BBTS Blood Bank Technology SIG groups, held at Manchester Conference Centre. Barry Hill attended and reports on the highlights of a thought-provoking programme.

Point-of-care testing has allowed pathology at Treliske Hospital, Truro, to evolve its service to meet the needs of patients and colleagues in remote locations, as Helen Hobba and Louise Silver explain.

Implementation of the latest automation systems from Beckman Coulter has enables one laboratory to deliver over 95% of critical results within one hour.

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in requests for HbA1c testing, due to its use in diabetes diagnosis and monitoring. Here, Colin Stone discusses the evaluation of HbA1c analysers to meet the needs of his department.

At Congress, almost every one of exhibitors will display their most recent technological advances and latest products. New technology plays a vital role in diagnosis and patient health, and contributes to the effectiveness and efficiency of everyone in the profession.

Reduction in tissue processing time enables a diagnosis to be made more quickly, and nowhere is this more important than in dealing with bone marrow biopsies, as Patrick McCormack explains in this method assessment.

Biotech specialist Partec has released analytical instruments that use a new method to determine bacterial counts in drinking water. Rapid and reliable, the method is now been recommended by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

Innovative technology is set to ensure successful fertilisation in canine breeding programmes following a joint venture between British innovators and scientists in the Antipodes.

Care pathways are an integral part of the provision of modern healthcare and are supported by input from the commercial sector, as recent Roche seminars demonstrated. Dawn Wallace reports.

The latest development in electronic oral capsule technology is set to provide greater understanding of the role of the intestine in digestion and immunity, and provide proof for functional food claims.

Creating a safe and healthy environment is important. Here, Christopher Osborne from Commercial Air Filtration provides industry-specific insights into the importance of managing the air quality in the laboratory.

AgPlus Diagnostics unveils the first working prototype of its new handheld system for rapid, on-the-spot diagnostic results.