Point of care testing (PoCT)

Point of care testing plays a pivotal role in the delivery of modern evidence based healthcare supplementing the services provided by pathology. PoCT is testing that is performed near or at the site of a patient and supports immediate clinical management decisions.

PoCT within the Trust is extensive with over 900,000 samples being analysed each year, using 12 different types of analytical device. At any one time around 3,000 staff are trained and deemed competent to use one or more of the PoCT devices.

PoCT devices used within the Trust

• Blood gas and metabolites

• Rapid Covid Testing

• INR

• Blood glucose

• Urinalysis

• Influenza A/B

• Blood ketone

• Urine pregnancy testing

• Ruptured membrane screen

• HbA1c

• Total haemoglobin

• Premature labour screen

• CRP

• D-dimer

• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

• Activated Clotting Time (ACT).

A PoCT team from pathology manage the governance processes that are required to ensure patient safety in relation to the use of the above systems within the Trust, community locations and private hospitals. This team is supported by the relevant pathology disciplines and a multidisciplinary Trust PoCT committee.

Services provided by the PoCT team include, but are not limited to, device selection and evaluation, training and competency assessment, quality control and quality assessment, production of appropriate documentation such as standard operating procedures and audit.

Contact us (clinicians only)

For general enquiries, training and access to Point of care devices please email ekhuft.pointofcaretestingteam@nhs.net.