In a significant advance for emergency medicine, SWLP has become the first pathology network in the country to successfully implement a groundbreaking point-of-care, high-sensitivity troponin testing pathway within the busy Emergency Department at Kingston Hospital. This transformative development is set to profoundly improve the care and experience of the many patients who arrive with chest pain, a symptom that demands both swift and accurate assessment.
The new system represents a paradigm shift in diagnostic speed and precision. By deploying a high-sensitivity troponin assay at the patient’s bedside, clinicians can now detect the earliest markers of heart muscle injury far more rapidly than traditional pathways allow. For those patients identified as low risk, this enables a confident and safe exclusion of a heart attack within a dramatically shortened timeframe. Consequently, many individuals can avoid prolonged uncertainty in the Emergency Department and are spared unnecessary overnight admissions for observation, allowing them to return home with reassurance much sooner.
The benefits of this innovation extend into the operational heart of hospital services. By facilitating earlier, data-driven clinical decisions, the initiative directly alleviates pressure on the system. It reduces crowding in the Emergency Department, shortens overall patient stays, and prevents avoidable admissions, thereby freeing up vital inpatient beds for those who need them most. This streamlined approach not only improves the flow of patients through the hospital but also ensures that clinical resources and specialist outpatient services, such as rapid-access chest pain clinics, are utilised with far greater efficiency.
This national first is the result of collaboration and technical expertise, spearheaded by the dedicated SWLP Point of Care Testing (POCT) Team. Their comprehensive work laid the essential foundations for success, encompassing the rigorous clinical verification of the new assay, the delivery of extensive training to over two hundred clinical staff, and the establishment of robust, ongoing quality assurance processes. A critical achievement was the seamless interfacing of the analysers with the hospital’s electronic health records, ensuring patient safety, full traceability, and smooth integration into daily clinical practice.
Haval Ozgun, General Manager of Rapid Diagnostics at SWLP, hailed the project. “Innovations like this show the real power of using cutting-edge technology in carefully designed patient pathways,” he said.
“When we combine clinical expertise, smart diagnostics, robust governance, seamless connectivity, and the expertise of a dedicated POCT team, we don’t just improve efficiency, we fundamentally improve patient care, outcomes and experience. Shorter waiting times, faster decisions, and safer outcomes matter, and in initiatives like this, our patients are the real winners.”
The successful implementation at Kingston has established SWLP as a national leader in diagnostic innovation, with several other NHS hospitals seeking guidance on adopting this superior model of care. This achievement stands as a powerful testament to how strategic investment in advanced diagnostics, coupled with outstanding multidisciplinary teamwork, can deliver tangible benefits for both individual patient outcomes and the wider health service.