Gisborne Hospital Report - Health and Disability Commissioner

Gisborne Hospital 1999 – 2000
Recommendations
performance, and any problems that have been detected by these programmes.
With a small number of staff expected to perform all tests, it is essential that they
all understand what the data means, and how they should respond to it, and that
they are all aware of any quality control issues.
11. It is clear that accreditation by IANZ is no guarantee that all is well in the
registered laboratory. Even the sanction of de-registration, thrice exercised in the
case of the biochemistry section of the laboratory at Gisborne Hospital, did not
have the desired effect of improving competency and quality. There would
appear to be a strong case for greater funding of accreditation agencies to allow
more in-depth review of laboratory standards, and a closer monitoring of claimed
improvements by the provider in the quest for re-registration.
12. Communication between all levels of management and technical staff must be
improved. This is perhaps the key recommendation to ensure that the
biochemistry section of the laboratory provides a reliable service on an ongoing
basis. Problems will recur if there is a continuation of the dysfunctional
relationship evident in the past.
13. Reagent suppliers (not just Abbott Industries) should put checking systems in
place that ensure that calibrators being sent to a laboratory match the type of
reagent kitset normally supplied to that laboratory. Questions should be asked if
it is not obvious from the order form why the laboratory is deviating from its
normal ordering pattern.
14. The laboratory also needs to put a checking system in place so that all reagents,
calibrators and controls are confirmed and signed off by a senior technologist as
being the correct items before they are made available for use in the laboratory.
185