The management system incorporates the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act, Health & Safety and Environmental Legislation and Blood Safety Quality Regulations, amongst others. The appropriate ISO standards are the underlying standard of operation for the medical laboratory services accredited by CPA (UK) Ltd and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
Scope
GSTS Pathology is a clinically led, customer focused and scientifically driven full service pathology provider of accurate, timely and clinically useful prognostic, diagnostic and screening results, blood and blood products, with clinical advice to the NHS and private sector locally, nationally and internationally. Services include core pathology such as Blood Sciences, Tissue Sciences and Infection Sciences, typically delivered from each operational site and specialised tests delivered from centres of excellence. Services participate in research, development and clinical trials.
Aims and Objectives
The GSTS Management System supports the business vision to be the leading pathology provider of high quality, cost effective pathology services and ensures that:
- GSTS Pathology
has a business reputation based on safety, quality and customer service, using
innovation to build a competitive advantage in chosen market sectors so that
GSTS Pathology becomes the provider of choice.
- GSTS Pathology
identifies its resource requirements through an effective management structure
to ensure that risk and improvement opportunities are identified and acted
on to protect or improve the health and
safety of patients, staff and visitors.
- GSTS Pathology
Services operates above the minimum level of quality and compliance set by
legislation and professional standards in the environment we operate.
- GSTS Pathology
integrates its organisational structure, processes and procedures required to
fulfil this policy and demonstrate improved quality outcomes.
- GSTS Pathology
has an effective governance system that ensures accountability and provides
internal and external assurance through reliable and relevant evidence.
- GSTS Pathology engages
stakeholders to understand, meet and exceed their needs and requirements for
patient safety, clinical effectiveness and operational performance.
- GSTS Pathology maintains an ethical culture and environment to underpin the business values. High standards of behaviour, staff engagement and empowerment with accountability is maintained to allow excellence in our services to flourish.
Quality Improvement
GSTS has established continuous quality improvement as a business philosophy for all processes and services to support safe and effective patient care. GSTS Pathology continually monitors its activity, annually reviews this policy for its suitability and effectiveness and publishes a quality account which defines our quality improvement objectives. Services complete an annual management review to ensure objectives are monitored locally and changes or new systems, processes or procedures are implemented effectively. Satisfaction of users is seen as a key indicator of success in improvement of services. GSTS Pathology is proactive in managing its business risks and has plans in place to ensure service continuity in all events.
Workforce
GSTS Pathology will maintain a high quality flexible workforce that are committed, engaged, trained and supported to provide the highest level of service to our users in accordance with relevant good professional guidance. Through recruitment, induction and training, staff will be made familiar with this policy and relevant content and procedures of the management system. Each staff member holds a personal responsibility for the quality of the work that they perform. Competency assessment and appraisal is used to ensure ongoing capability and identify individual personal development.
Managers and supervisors provide effective leadership and create a culture and working environment that allows operational performance and change management to be achieved by staff that are empowered to make suggestions and take decisions.
Assessment and Monitoring
Key performance and quality indicators are used to enhance operational performance and remove variation from laboratory processes. Internal quality control and assurance with external quality assurance is used as part of the overall assurance mechanism along with clinical and internal audit to monitor adequacy of operating procedures and effectiveness of the quality system. Quality tools such as root cause analysis are used to ensure effective corrective actions are implemented. We recognise the confidentiality of information we hold on patients, donors and clients and allow accreditation and regulatory bodies appropriate access to the knowledge systems maintained to provide third party assurance to GSTS pathology and our stakeholders.
GSTS is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an independent healthcare provider at all locations on which it operates for the provision of Diagnostic and Screening Services and Blood and Transplant Services.
