4.0 Management requirements

The laboratory is committed to maintaining an unbiased environment where all personnel perform tasks with objectivity, free from any undue influence or conflict of interest. This commitment includes safeguarding the independence of decision-making processes related to patient testing, result interpretation, and reporting. By promoting a culture of transparency, fairness, and integrity, the laboratory ensures that all actions and decisions are based solely on scientific evidence and patient safety, reinforcing trust in the quality and reliability of the service. To ensure this is met, an impartiality register is maintained for staff working within GG&C Microbiology. As part of this, any conflict of interest identified are recorded on designated spreadsheet and held within departmental share drive.  All staff made aware of the importance of impartiality at induction, with TRI539 being discussed and acknowledged in Q-Pulse.

The GG&C Microbiology Laboratory does not undertake other activities, which would result in a conflict of interest. All staff are bound by GGC contract and policies as for the Clinical Laboratory Service. An impartiality register is maintained for staff working in the department and is updated annually during TURAS review. 

NHSGG&C Standing Financial Instructions and Fraud Policy ensure that work quality is not affected by external pressure, that users’ confidential information is protected and that a department cannot undertake activity that would diminish confidence in its impartiality. Conduct of individual staff is governed by their Contract of Employment, Professional bodies (General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, the Staff Code of Conduct, Standing Financial Instructions, Caldicott report & the Data Protection Act.

Staff are made aware of this information at induction and on an ongoing basis as part of the Competence Programme monitored by the training managers using TRI539. All staff participate through LearnPro to fulfil all the Statutory Mandatory Training by GG&C.

When the laboratory is required by law to release confidential information, the patient concerned shall be notified of the information released - unless prohibited by law. Information about the patient from a source other than the patient (e.g. complainant, regulator) must be kept confidential by the laboratory. The identity of the source must also be kept confidential by the laboratory, unless agreed by the source.

The NHS GGC Policies can be accessed via StaffNet links below:

• Financial Governance (sharepoint.com)
• scottish.sharepoint.com/sites/GGC-Finance/SiteAssets/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FGGC-Finance%2FSiteAssets%2FSitePages%2FFinancial-Governance%2FStanding-Financial-Instructions-Revision-15%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FGGC-Finance%2FSiteAssets%2FSitePages%2FFinancial-Governance
• http://www.staffnet.ggc.scot.nhs.uk/Corporate%20Services/Finance/Pages/CodeofConductforStaffandDeclarationsofInterest,GiftsandHospitality.aspx

There is daily interaction at medical level with service users through ward visits and 24hr access to clinical advice. Surveys or open events are held occasionally and outcomes acted upon. This is a commitment in our Quality Policy. Needs and requirements of users forms part of the annual management review. Information for users is contained in the user manuals accessible on the GG&C website. The manuals are reviewed annually to ensure tests provided are clinically appropriate and necessary.  Medical, senior scientific & BMS staff are in daily contact with users and hospital patients to provide support and advice. All patient samples are retained in accordance with The Royal Collage of Pathologist guidelines “The retention and storage of pathological records and specimens”.

The Needs & requirements of service users procedure is defined in QP509, with user needs kept under constant review. In practice, this is can be achieved by user-satisfaction questionnaires, meetings with specific key users and by individual contact between the Director, Clinical Leads, Head of Technical Services, Service Manager, Quality & Compliance Manager, Operational  Manager, Quality Managers, Technical Managers, Microbiology Consultants, Medical Consultants, Clinical Scientists and others who use the service. Assessment of user satisfaction and complaints is conducted on a regular basis and consideration of the findings is made between the senior management team. Where surveys cannot be performed, a target approach to user interaction and improvement will be taken. Recommendations arising from these exercises are translated into requirements which form the focus of objective setting and planning within the quality management system; consideration of the findings can form part of the annual management review.