South West Region Reaps Multiple Benefits from Roche Solution

Roche Diagnostics’ Managed Labor-atory Service Solution for the Peninsula Purchasing and Supply Alliance, a network of hospital trusts in Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay and Truro, supports the Alliance’s aim of
‘treatment of more patients with improved outcomes at a lower cost’. A single source of supply for the entire network means greater cost effective-ness and reduced administration costs. Additionally, the single contract for all locations has provided greater standardisation across the labs, increased productivity and improved communication and connectivity.

“A common family of assays in use across all the trusts, with standardised reference ranges, makes comparing results quick and simple, even when a patient is transferred from one hospital to another,” said Adrian Cudmore, Laboratory Manager at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. “The agreement with Roche has helped us promote best practice across the region and this has been a big benefit,” he continued.

Roche is providing a single-source solution for pathology services that goes well beyond just supplying hardware and reagents. Within the scope of the agreement, Roche provides four dedicated Laboratory Support Coordinators (LSCs) to the labs across the region. At Royal Cornwall Hospital, this has allowed many operational functions to be moved away from senior staff, who can now focus more on the clinical aspects of their jobs. 30% to 70% of the work required to implement new developments, such as new processes or assays, has been transferred to the LSC and, overall, senior laboratory staff have around 10% more time available to focus on their core responsibilities.

It’s not just operational benefits that the laboratories in the region are seeing. One supplier for all pathology services means simpler ordering and invoicing, and, by transferring risk to Roche, the laboratories were able to recover VAT in full.