Automating the Microbiology Lab

Frimley Park Hospital, 20 miles south of London, has become a centralized hub serving three hospital labs in a region that covers 1.1 million people. In 2008, Frimley invested in Kiestra Total Lab Automation (TLA). Has the investment paid off?

"Absolutely," says Dr. Ian Fry, Director of Pathology. "Kiestra TLA has enabled us to increase our volume five-fold. Now, we process nearly 1 million microbiology requests each year. We're returning much more value to the hospitals, we're more efficient, and we're in a stronger competitive position."

With the recent acquisition of KIESTRA Lab Automation B.V., BD is combining its experience and expertise with Kiestra's to offer complementary solutions that include instruments from small bench top units to fully automated track-based microbiology automation systems.

"Running a lab still involves working effectively with people and whatever technology they have," says Dr. Fry. "BD Kiestra TLA gives us access to better lab information on an hour-by-hour basis."

The BD Kiestra TLA dashboard displays a snapshot of the status of specimens as they pass through the lab. The daily key performance reports tell exactly what was processed and when during the prior day. Using this data, Frimley's entire lab staff participates in lean meetings and engages in continuous improvement. It's their suggestions that drive the lab forward.

"These are powerful tools for changing the lab," says Nicola Newman, Frimley Park's General Manager, Microbiology. "We've worked with the BD Kiestra data to truly change the way we work, to have the right skill mix in the lab at the right time, and to drill down to every specimen type, every bench, from beginning to end. We've been able to improve our turnaround time 20% across the board, directly benefiting our patients."

"This TLA system allows us to generate faster, more reliable results, thereby reducing mortality and morbidity," adds Microbiology's Dr. David Gardner. "Patients can be given the right treatment sooner, go home sooner, and free up a bed for the next patient sooner."

"Once you realize the potential of BD Kiestra TLA," says Ms. Newman, "what you can do with the system is limitless."

Monitoring results from the BD Kiestra Automated Laboratory.