Name
Faye Browne
Role
Faye joined the SWLP Point of Care Testing (POCT) team in 2019 as a POCT coordinator, having previously worked as a biomedical scientist in biochemistry and being rostered onto her organisation’s POCT team, where her interest in point of care began. During her time at SWLP, Faye’s role has developed into the Quality Lead for the expanding service.
What does an average day look like for you?
“It always starts with emails,” Faye explains. As the central hub for quality across multiple hospital sites, her inbox is the first port of call for any overnight issues, from instrument breakdowns and stock shortages to IT glitches affecting the crucial middleware that manages results.
After triaging the morning’s communications, Faye logs into Q-Pulse, the quality management software that forms the backbone of her work. Here, she oversees the entire POCT quality system. “I view the outstanding workload, audits that are due, competency assessments (KPAs) awaiting review, new documents needing approval, and make my to-do list,” she says.
A significant part of her day is spent as a gatekeeper and guide. “Nothing gets submitted without me looking at it,” Faye notes. She meticulously proofreads and provides feedback on audits, staff competencies, and procedure documents before they are finalised. This relentless attention to detail ensures the service is always inspection-ready and, most importantly, that patient safety is embedded in every process.
Her role is also strategic and forward-looking. She is heavily involved in the change control process for new devices and tests, conducting risk assessments for technological innovations. She drafts monthly quality reports, leads external quality assurance reviews, and prepares for the annual management review. “The main purpose of my role is to establish trends,” Faye summarises. “I need to have my fingers in all pies, in everything that POCT does.”
What is your favourite thing about the job?
For Faye, her favourite thing is intrinsic to the very nature of point of care testing itself. “Point of Ccre can be described as a ‘lab without walls’,” she says with evident enthusiasm. She thrives on the unique challenge and reward of managing a quality system for a service operated not just by laboratory scientists, but by thousands of doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants across numerous locations.
“You can imagine the high variability and challenges,” she admits. “But that also works to the team’s benefit as we figure out solutions together.” What excites her most is being at the forefront of taking UKAS-accredited laboratory testing out of the traditional lab and into new frontiers like virtual wards, ‘hospital at home’ services, and community health initiatives.
“We’ve set up clinics in places of worship to test cholesterol… the idea that you can have a lab-quality test in minutes, not days, potentially in a supermarket car park, is amazing. We’re making high-quality diagnostics accessible and fast, and that’s incredibly rewarding.”
Is there a moment you will always remember?
Faye immediately recalls a milestone that fills her with immense pride. When she first joined the SWLP POCT team in 2019, it was a compact unit of just three people, covering four major hospital sites. Their task was Herculean: manage thousands of users and a vast array of devices while building a quality management system from scratch.
“In 2021, just under two years later, we had our UKAS assessment for the blood gas and glucose meter service at St George’s,” she remembers. “We came out of that with a total of just four findings.” For such a small team to achieve accreditation on a major part of their service with such a strong result was a monumental validation of their hard work. “It’s a moment I think on with fond memories and with pride,” she says. “It proved what a small, dedicated team could accomplish.”
How did you get into pathology?
Faye’s journey into the world of diagnostics began 23 years ago, inspired by an unlikely source. “I became really intrigued by lab diagnostics mainly after watching the hit TV show CSI,” she laughs. Starting as a Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA), her talent and drive quickly propelled her forward.
She undertook the demanding path of a trainee biomedical scientist while studying for her BSc in Biomedical Science, achieving a first-class honours degree. Not stopping there, she later completed an MSc with distinction alongside her IBMS specialist diploma. “Working four days in the lab, going to university one day a week, and doing my registration portfolio… it was a lot, but I’m really proud of it,” she reflects.
Her path to quality was organic. While working as a Biochemistry BMS, she was rostered into the Point of Care team. She also assisted the lab’s Quality Manager as a “Quality Enabler,” a novel role at the time. When the opportunity arose in 2019 to become a POCT Coordinator and build a dedicated QMS for the expanding service, she seized it. This evolved into her current role as Quality Lead.
“Quality found me,” Faye concludes. “I don’t think I was destined to be a traditional biomedical scientist running tests in the lab. Point of Care found me, quality found me, and now I’m where I need to be.” Her story is a testament to where passion, dedication, and an openness to new challenges within the NHS can lead.