Gin Gin Hospital wins pathology prize

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Gin Gin Hospital has been awarded a prestigious pathology award recognising excellence in point-of-care testing, enabling Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service clinicians to make faster decisions about patient care.

Gin Gin Hospital has won a prestigious pathology award.
Gin Gin Hospital has won a prestigious pathology award.

The Pathology Queensland Statewide Point-of-Care Testing Excellence in Quality award recognises the performance of point-of-care testing sites across Queensland for the past year. It is awarded in four categories, with Gin Gin Hospital winning the “best high-volume site” award.

Gin Gin Hospital Director of Nursing Jenny Hursthouse said the team was thrilled to be recognised for their contribution to the success of point-of-care testing across the state.

“It’s wonderful to have our team recognised for how they deliver pathology testing at Gin Gin Hospital, ensuring our patients receive an excellent service,” Ms Hursthouse said.

“Being recognised as the best high-volume site shows that despite a high-level of need, our staff are able to handle the volume while providing Gin Gin patients with an outstanding quality of care.”

Pathology Queensland Statewide Point-of-Care Testing Lead Cameron Martin said that Gin Gin Hospital had to meet a range of criteria to be considered for the award.

“Point-of-care testing enables clinicians to get test results quickly, allowing them to make informed decisions immediately about the patient in front of them. This technology makes a huge difference to a regional facility like Gin Gin where there is no onsite pathology lab to process patient blood tests,” Mr Martin said.

“High test success rates and high patient identification compliance are key criteria that we look at when deciding who to recognise. With over 300 facilities using the technology, and using it extremely well, it is always a tight finish.

“The team at Gin Gin hit it out of the park with an outstanding test success rate, ensuring test results were attributed to the right patient allowing clinicians to diagnose and treat patients appropriately.”

Last year alone, more than 400 000 people across Queensland got their results via point-of-care testing technology; however, that number is even higher when you look at the individual tests being analysed, which is over one million tests.