Major new lab systems wins for Sysmed and iSOFT

Two major new laboratory systems contracts were announced this week which will bring modernised facilities to Leeds Teaching Hospitals and University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH).

Laboratory information system specialist Sysmed Solutions has been chosen to support Whitfield Street Laboratory Ltd (WSL), a new company set up to run the UK’s largest, high volume, automated pathology laboratory.

WSL will provide the latest in laboratory facilities for a partnership between University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH) and The Doctors Laboratory Ltd (TDL). The new automated laboratory will use the latest on robotics and workflow design to manage the bulk of the combined chemistry and haematology workload for the two organisations, processing over 50,000 tests per day.

Sysmed, formerly known as wwa.sysmed, will provide WSL with its WinPath Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) capable of handling the unprecedented, high volume workload of the automated laboratory. WinPath includes the ability to efficiently interface with, and control the sophisticated robotic and analytical technologies within the new facility.

At all stages in the laboratory process, the fully integrated WinPath LIMS will recognise and differentiate samples originating from multiple sources and ensure the correct analyses are automatically performed relative to sample origin and request. It will also manage information streams and results reporting data as required by UCLH and TDL.

Fiona Pearson, chief executive of Sysmed said: “We are very excited to be working with such prestigious organisations as UCLH and TDL, and extremely pleased to have been chosen to support this new venture by providing the mainstay service for the automated laboratory.”

In Leeds, iSOFT Laboratory Systems, part of iSOFT plc, has won a contract to deploy a single, integrated, trust-wide pathology system servicing 10 hospital including the trust’s three main acute sites at Leeds General Infirmary, St James’ Hospital, Leeds, and Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The iSOFT solution is designed to centralise the trust’s pathology information systems and to aid them in optimising pathology department workflow and data entry efficiencies.

Keith Gailer, Leeds Teaching Hospitals pathology IT operations manager said: "Our years of experience with iSOFT laboratory systems and their functionality made this the obvious cost-effective solution to consolidate our laboratory data across a very large organisation. It will enable us to organise our work more efficiently, to the benefit of both the laboratory and the patients."