The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
New lab equipment to double testing capacity
Arrival of analyser will allow Ninewells to process 700 tests for virus per day
Ninewells Hospital has doubled its testing capacity after new equipment was delivered from South Korea.
The arrival of the analyser in the virology laboratory means the site will be able to process 700 cases a day, up from 300 previously.
NHS Tayside has been lauded for its approach to testing, with experts saying the early start saved lives and avoided thousands of lost work days.
The lab is the first in Scotland to have the analyser, which was ordered by Health Protection Scotland.
Two more are on the way, meaning the daily testing capacity will increase to 1,400.
Chris Hind, clinical laboratory manager at Access Laboratories, said the equipment will support the great work already happening.
He said: “They will allow us to test more patients, more key workers and more care home residents, and ensure the Tayside virology team remains at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus.
“This analyser will also support the Scottish Government priorities of ‘Test and Protect’, giving a shorter turnaround time to allow rapid reporting to the medical, nursing, infection prevention and control, and health protection teams.
“More patients can be tested faster and have their results reported faster... and also be given the assurance that they are in safe hands with NHS Tayside.”
The new analysers reduce the time taken from sampling to testing by roughly half.
The system can be used on a broad range of specimens and is fully automated, helping to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries to staff.
Ninewells was the third laboratory in Scotland to begin providing diagnostic testing for Covid-19, along with labs in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The team of 13 technical staff quickly adapted from its normal working pattern to a new seven-day testing service to meet the rising demand of coronavirus testing in Tayside.
This allowed NHS Tayside to become the first health board in the country to test health and social care staff and their household contacts, as well as other key workers.
More than 5,000 staff samples have been tested by the virology laboratory since the service was launched on March 18.
Other analysers are expected to be installed and ready for use in hospitals elsewhere shortly.