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Direct feedback from Biomedical Scientists and Point of Care Testing (POCT) Coordinators was proactively gained recently by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics at dedicated customer connection days.
The two-way forums were designed to give customers updates on product developments, educate on e-learning tools, plus enable peers to exchange POCT best practice and provide input to a research and development wish list.
The meetings were chaired by Alasdair McBain from NHS Fife, who ensured that all views were shared and that all discussion points were documented.
He states, “Close relationships between laboratory service providers and industry suppliers are vital to match daily needs to the solutions available. The Siemens forum did a great job in fostering two-way interaction and forging stronger working partnerships.”
“Our connection days have been designed to provide the opportunity for customers to interface with sales, marketing and R&D teams from Siemens and their peers from NHS trusts in different geographical areas. This enables the sharing of views, opinions and concerns affecting the POCT arena in an open forum,” said Hilda Crockett, Marketing Manager Point of Care at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics.
“By listening to needs and working together we can embrace changes taking place in the industry and support each other.”
Gill Hall, Quality Manager and Trust POCT Coordinator at Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust presented her team’s experiences of the enhanced RAPIDLab 1200 Blood Gas Systems and also enthused about the opportunity to share dialogue with peers.
“On a day-to-day basis it’s all too easy to focus on the challenge in hand rather than open up to our peers for a solution. The sessions arranged by Siemens are a good reminder that we’re not alone in championing Point of Care and that we can call on our colleagues across the UK at any time and have a dedicated technology partner to support us.”
Over 40 customers joined together for the connection meetings held in Newcastle and Sudbury, Suffolk. A tour of the Siemens manufacturing plant formed part of the agenda at the Sudbury session to highlight the British manufacturing facility and its expert capabilities, plus showcase how Siemens practices what it preaches by drawing on Lean philosophies for efficiency.
Sarah Leng, Point of Care Coordinator at Medway Maritime Hospital, part of Medway NHS Foundation Trust commented, “It was a great opportunity to see the instruments we take for granted on a daily basis being made. I was really surprised at the scale of the plant and the human elements involved in the assembly of instruments and cartridges.”
