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POCT National Networking Forum 2025

POCT National Networking Forum 2025
Birmingham City Football Ground, 5 CPD hours
Wed 5 Mar 2025

No longer the forgotten service, POCT is revolutionising patient care and transforming pathways both in and outside of hospital settings


At this face-to-face networking conference in Birmingham, POCT colleagues from across the country joined the conversation, navigating their way tough questions on ensuring quality, keeping up with high demand and developing new services that are in line with national initiatives. Attendees gained inspiration from services that are delivering resilient, new POCT pathways, and took home practical ideas to drive forward their own services.

Bringing POCT professionals and industry together

Over 100 POCT professionals took the day out to share experiences and insights into the national strategy, quality standards and innovative pathways, at this valuable forum. This event provided the perfect opportunity and support to discover new ways of working, be motivated by other services and share challenges. Key focusses on the day included:


  •  Updating your understanding on how GIRFT is working to validate new POCT devices
  •  Boosting your confidence for your next UKAS inspection by learning from other services
  •  Understanding what the new ISO 15189:2022 actually means for POCT from an accredited team
  •  Becoming motivated by hearing about new pathways and the practicalities of how they have been implemented
  •  Discovering the outcomes from a brand-new ARI pilot scheme that aims to tackle infection outside of hospitals
  •  Creating a successful business plan that ensures that your service is well funded and future proofed
  •  Evaluating the national picture and taking key learning from other devolved nations
  •  Developing a rapid testing, 24/7 day a week service in emergency departments
  •  Learning how others have tackled connectivity challenges as work diversifies into different settings

Stay abreast of advancements in POCT

This unique event also enabled the delegates to meet industry providers and learn how to strike the balance between pushing forward into the next phase whilst improving on existing processes. Further benefits included:


  • Building networks: gain access to POCT professionals and thought leaders to be a part of a wider community of peers for support, advice and guidance
  • Professional learning: discover national updates, evidenced learnings and real-world examples
  • Facilitated discussion sessions: identify innovative approaches for enhancing your pathways and improving your service delivery

With thanks to our sponsors

SBK would like to thank Abbott, BHR Biosynex, Fujifilm, Genedrive Diagnostics Ltd and Roche for sponsoring this event.

                                

And to our exhibitors

SBK would also like to thank AB Scientific, Accubio Cepheid, Citizen Care Health, Eurobio Scientific, HORIBA UK, Katalyst Diagnostics, QuidelOrtho, Randox, Sterilab, Sysmex and Una Health for exhibiting this event.

           

9:00
Registration, refreshments and networking opportunity
9:30
Chair’s opening remarks
Dr Martin Myers MBE, Senior Clinical Advisor, Pathology at GIRFT, Consultant Clinical Biochemist and Associate Divisional Medical Director for Pathology, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
National update
9:40
GIRFT Update: Data supported decision making to ensure a safe and effective future for POCT
  • Utilising the ‘Blue Book’: a validation tool to ensure data supported decision making for tests
  • Tier 1: GIRFT planning for pathology delivery in the community
  • Ensuring effective governance to enable effective, safe, POCT in the community for the future
Dr Martin Myers MBE, Senior Clinical Advisor, Pathology at GIRFT, Consultant Clinical Biochemist and Associate Divisional Medical Director for Pathology, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Enabling service transformation
10:10
Case study: Delivering an ARI Respiratory Hub in the North West
  • Developing an acute community respiration hub to keep infection out of the hospital
  • Targeting infection in the community and reducing A&E attendance
  • Sharing outcome data and demonstrating the impact of the ARI respiratory hub
Katie Moss, Programme Director, Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network and Chair of the North West Point of Care Strategy Group
10:40
Questions and answers with your speakers
10:50
OSD Healthcare: Use of POCT in Day Case Surgeries and Outpatients
Vivid Riolo, UCC and OPD Registered Nurse, POCT Lead, OSD Healthcare
11:05
Refreshments, networking break and meet the exhibitors
POCT across the UK
11:30
Wales’s National POCT Strategy: Setting up and developing point-of-care testing services
  • Assessing the impact of new POCT programmes, best practice, and quality and safety issues
  • Achievements to date: developments in quality control, standards and governance models
Annette Thomas, Consultant Clinical Biochemist, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
11:50
POCT-for-Scot: Shared experiences of the Scottish Network
  • Opportunities and vision: creating a network to share information across health boards
  • Looking forward: potential impact of shared innovations, educational materials and networking
Jayne Mckay, Point of Care Manager, NHS Tayside and Director of POCT- for-Scot Director
12:10
Northern Ireland – A Regional Approach to POCT
  • Developing a regional strategy, building a workforce plan and enabling IT and procurement
  • Enabling new initiatives to improve governance in POCT
Dr Jenny Hamilton, Chair, Northern Ireland POCT Specialty Forum, Consultant Clinical Biochemist, Southern Health and Social Care Trust
12:30
Panel question and answers with your speakers
12:40
Refreshments, networking lunch and meet the sponsors
Achieving POCT accreditation
1:50
Interactive discussion: Ensuring quality and effective clinical governance
  • Where is your service on the journey to accreditation?
  • What are you doing to ensure effective clinical governance without CQC inspection?
  • What would effective quality monitoring look like? How do we ensure quality in our lab?
2:10
Interactive discussion feedback: Ensuring quality and effective clinical governance
2:30
Case study: Becoming an accredited service and achieving ISO 15189:2022
  • Practical guidance to understand how we can incorporate the new standards
  • Taking accreditation forward: building and developing the service under new ISO standards
  • Exploring our journey to achieving accreditation for our service: what did we learn?
Katy Heaney, POCT Consultant Speciality Lead and Director, Qpoint POCT EQA schemes, Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services
3:00
Questions and answers with your speakers
3:10
Refreshments, networking break and meet the exhibitors
3:30
Case study: Provision of POCT and rapid testing in the ED lab
  • Understanding the delivery a rapid POCT emergency department (ED) lab
  • Practical insights into changes in the patient pathway and analysing the wider benefits
  • Ensuring complete connectivity with patient files and EPR systems
Robert Bolton, Point of Care Coordinator, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
4:00
Funding community diagnostic and virtual wards: working towards service resilience
  • Understanding our service: Greater Manchester POCT cost model
  • Our journey to date towards funding and commissioning community POCT services
  • Where are we going next? Tackling challenges in funding POCT services
Dr Sharman Harris, Consultant Biochemist and Clinical Lead for POCT, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
4:30
Questions and answers with your speakers
4:40
Chair’s closing remarks and close of day

With thanks to the speakers:

Dr Martin Myers MBE

Senior Clinical Advisor, Pathology at GIRFT, Consultant Clinical Biochemist and Associate Divisional Medical Director for Pathology
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Biography

Katie Moss

Programme Director
Greater Manchester Diagnostics Network and Chair of the North West Point of Care Strategy Group
Biography

Vivid Riolo

UCC and OPD Registered Nurse, POCT Lead
OSD Healthcare

Annette Thomas

Consultant Clinical Biochemist
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Biography

Jayne McKay

Point of Care manager for Diagnostic Laboratories
NHS Tayside
Biography

Dr Jenny Hamilton

Chair and Consultant Clinical Biochemist
Northern Ireland POCT Specialty Forum and Southern Health and Social Care Trust
After completing a PhD in Diabetes in The Queen’s University of Belfast, Jenny embarked on a career as a Clinical Scientist in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. She was the Principal Clinical Scientist in the Regional Toxicology Laboratory from 2013-2021, before taking up her current position as a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Biochemistry and POCT in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust. Jenny is the current Chair of the Northern Ireland POCT Specialty Forum. She is also the STP training officer for Biochemistry in Northern Ireland, a member of the RCPath NI Council, and an associate editor for Labmed News. 

"> Biography

Katy Heaney

POCT Consultant Speciality Lead and Director
Qpoint POCT EQA Schemes, Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services
Biography

Robert Bolton

Point of Care Coordinator
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Biography

Dr Sharman Harris

Consultant Biochemist and Clinical Lead for POCT
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Who came?

On the day we were joined by many, including but not limited to the following job titles:

  • Point of Care Team Manager
  • Advanced Biomedical Scientist
  • Associate Practitioner
  • Biomedical Scientist
  • Chief Medical Scientist
  • Chief Medical Scientist-Near Patient Testing (POCT) Manager
  • Clinical Biochemist
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Clinical Director for Pathology
  • Clinical Lead for Blood Transfusion and Point of Care
  • Consultant Clinical Biochemist
  • Consultant Clinical Biochemist/Clinical Director
  • Consultant Clinical Scientist, POCT Manager
  • Consultant in Chemical Pathology and Metabolic Medicine
  • Director and Consultant Clinical Scientist
  • Doctor
  • EQA Support Scientist
  • Laboratory Director
  • Laboratory Manager
  • Laboratory Operations Manager
  • Lead Biomedical Scientist
  • Medical Laboratory Assistant
  • Medical Scientist POCT Coordinator
  • NWLP Point of Care Testing Manager
  • Pathology POCT Specialist Biomedical Scientist
  • Pathology POCT Team Leader
  • POCT and Phlebotomy Operational Manager
  • POCT Associate Practitioner
  • POCT Consultant Speciality Lead and Director, Qpoint POCT EQA schemes
  • POCT Countrywide Manager
  • POCT Cross Site Manager
  • POCT Lead
  • POCT Manager
  • POCT Officer
  • Point of Care Co-ordinator
  • Point of Care Manager for Diagnostic Laboratories
  • Point of Care Team Leader
  • Point of Care Testing (POCT) Coordinator
  • Point of Care Testing Coordinator
  • Point of Care Testing Manager
  • Principal Clinical Scientist
  • Principal EQA Scientist
  • Quality Support - POCT
  • Scientific Programme Manager
  • Senior Biomedical Scientist
  • Senior BMS & POCT Co-ordinator
  • Senior BMS POCT
  • Senior Medical Scientist
  • Senior Specialist BMS /POCT Training Lead
  • Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Past attendee feedback

Last held in 2024 in Birmingham on Wednesday 24th April 2024 at the Birmingham City Football Club, this vital face-to-face networking event was described as:

“Excellent! Always open and full of new friends, a supportive community in POCT. Excellently managed day and delivered well and to time”
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
“Very informative and great opportunity to meet people working in the same field and sharing our thoughts”
- South West London Pathology
“Very thought-provoking and being able to see variation in the maturity of POCT throughout the UK very useful”
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS
“Good, well-organised meeting. Particularly enjoyed the opportunities to discuss topics at a table”
- Birmingham Quality UK NEQAS
“Good content covering issues with the development of POCT – but really good to see other Trusts also having same issues knowing we can work together”
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
“Really inspiring and informative – far exceeded my expectations”
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

View further comments on SBK Healthcare events on Trust Pilot.


With thanks to our sponsors

  


Abbott is a global leader in in-vitro diagnostics with one of the broadest portfolios of businesses spanning nearly every segment - point of care, immunoassay, clinical chemistry, haematology, blood screening, molecular and informatics. Abbott's life-changing tests and diagnostic tools provide accurate, timely information to better manage health. We're empowering smarter medical and economic decision making to help transform the way people manage their health at all stages of life.




BHR BIOSYNEX is a market leading company in point-of-care healthcare diagnostics, enabling appropriate tests to be moved closer from the lab to the patient, to better manage and treat conditions.




Genedrive Diagnostics Ltd is a pharmacogenetic testing company developing and commercialising a rapid and simple to use point of need pharmacogenetic platform for the diagnosis of genetic variants. Thus, enabling healthcare professionals to provide accessible, personalised treatment to the right patient at the right time.

With thanks to our exhibitors

       

Why sponsor this SBK Healthcare Forum

Our role at SBK Healthcare is to bring industry together with healthcare professionals so that you can educate and inform your audience. These trail-blazing diabetes delivery forums offering dedicated presentation, Q&A, networking and discussion time, each sponsor will be full immersed into the event and able to effectively engage with your NHS audience.

Interested in having your own event, managed by us?

SBK Healthcare also provides in-house forums. Working closely with you as the client we can research, produce, market and deliver the conference or online forum that best suits the audience and meets your goals.

Reach out today

If you would like more information on our sponsorship options an in-house forum or if you wish to discuss your needs and what solutions may be appropriate for your business, please contact:
Sarah Kemm
Contact: 01732 897788
Email: sarah.kemm@sbk-healthcare.co.uk