Roche Diagnostics has provided its Modular Analytics analytical and financial solution to Cwm Taf NHS Trust in Wales to improve laboratory workload management.
The platform has been installed at the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr.
Doug Proctor, laboratory manager, said: 'We have improved the way we work and are managing our workload more efficiently.
'Samples are being turned around quicker than before, and we have been able to deploy staff to other areas, such as point-of-care testing,' he added.
The Modular Analytics system within the clinical biochemistry laboratory combined chemistry and immunoassay testing onto the same instrument.
This provided an enhanced portfolio of in-house laboratory tests (saving money on previously outsourced tests) and reduced time-to-result in many instances.
For example, Troponin tests are now turned around in 1.6 hours (previously 5.4 hours) enabling the laboratory to comply with the All Wales Clinical Biochemistry Audit Group's Guidance of less than two hours for this test.
The speed of the new system also means that results are available to GPs on the same day, rather than a two-day wait, enabling them to change the way they work with patients who now do not have to go to hospital for potentially unnecessary tests.
In addition to the benefits brought to biochemistry analytics, efficiencies have also been seen by the trust's procurement team.
