Pathology Electronic Ordering and Resulting:
Bracknell Practice Leads the Way!

Binfield General Practice has become the first practice to successfully implement Electronic Pathology Test Ordering, so they can now order tests whilst consulting with their patient. We will now begin rolling out the system, and will be contacting all practices in east Berkshire and south Buckinghamshire to arrange demonstrations, access, training and ongoing support.

The system offers a number of benefits to GPs and the pathology service, at no cost to Primary Care:

It is easy to install and use and most practices will be fully functional and can be requesting tests by mid afternoon of the installation day.

It provides GPs with an easy to use request form. This automatically captures full patient demographic information, thereby avoiding the old transcriptional /legibility issues associated with paper request forms, and in addition presents the GP with the patient’s full diagnostic pathology history for review if required. It also automatically captures requesting GP, practice and diagnostic tests, ensuring that results are always completed as requested and promptly returned.

It automatically checks to see if any requested test has been completed recently, and then presents the GP with the option to view that test result or download it, thereby potentially preventing the cost to the NHS of unnecessary duplicate testing It makes the patient’s diagnostic investigation history available to the GP, who previously only had access to the history captured in the practice system.

It provides context-based diagnostic advice and prompts the GP to provide pertinent clinical information that may affect the interpretation or selection of Diagnostic Tests.

It supports the efficient management of patients with long term conditions requiring repeated diagnostic monitoring into the future.

It significantly reduces the time taken to register a diagnostic request onto the Laboratory Information System.

In the future the system will support the management of appointment-based phlebotomy clinics whether provided in the practice or at acute Trust locations.

Binfield Practice staff and GPs have found the system extremely useful: easy to set up, benefiting all parties and very straightforward to use.

Business Manager Roland Cundy says “Welcome to the 21st century. Less paperwork, with an efficient on-screen system. Easy to set up, with a minimum amount of training for the staff. The support we had from the Path lab team and project lead was extraordinary. Thank you”.

Dr Robert Koefman says “It is fantastic”.

Reception Manager Jenny Willatts says “The new system means that samples will not be rejected for missing information as all the demographics are automatically put onto the form. Less paperwork and all the clinicians love it”.

Health Care Assistant Charlene says “I really like it because there is less paperwork, forms do not get lost and it is a very straight forward system to use”.

If you have any questions or are keen to implement quickly, please contact Lesley at Wexham Park Hospital Pathology department on 01753 633411 or by email at Lesley.Adams@hwph-tr.nhs.uk