50,000th UK Accu-Chek Blood Glucose Meter Presented to Great Ormond Street Hospital

To celebrate the installation of the 50,000th Accu-Chek^® Inform II blood glucose meter in the UK, healthcare company Roche, makers of the instrument, presented a commemorative gold-coloured meter to the world renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH). GOSH has been using the Accu-Chek Inform II meters for point of care blood glucose testing throughout the Trust since 2011.

Blood glucose monitoring is vital to the role of the Hypoglycaemia Clinical Nurse Specialists at the hospital. For paediatric patients with hypoglycaemia, it is extremely important to gain regular blood glucose levels as accurately and quickly as possible for them to receive safe and appropriate treatment.

With each meter connected to the hospital information system through cobas^® IT 1000 point of care data management solution, Accu-Chek Inform II is ideal for rapid, accurate and reliable blood glucose testing at the point of care. Results are transferred immediately to the electronic patient record, allowing the clinical team to have rapid access to accurate, up-to-date diagnostic information whenever it is needed. This ensures that patients receive the right care at the right time, which helps to improve patient outcomes.

The Accu-Chek Inform II test strip requires less than 1µl of blood to complete a test. This small sample volume is extremely important in the care of paediatric patients, since it reduces the need for a harsh finger prick or repeat sampling.

The data management capabilities of cobas IT 1000 will help GOSH to work towards providing a CPA (UK) Ltd. accredited point of care testing (POCT) service. It provides a clear audit trail for results and an easy way to manage users, allowing user training and competence status to be recorded and monitored centrally. It also has a ‘lock out’ feature, which prevents the meter from being used if quality control (QC) protocols are not followed or if there is an issue with the QC, equipment or user status. This ensures appropriate use of the equipment and enhances patient safety.

“At Roche we focus on medicines and diagnostics that will help patients live longer, better lives,” comments Christopher Parker, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland. “Our aim with the AccuChek Inform II is to ensure that healthcare professionals have the very best diagnostic systems to help improve patient outcomes. We are delighted to be marking the milestone of the 50,000th Accu-Chek Inform II by presenting this commemorative meter to such a world leading institution as Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.”

For further information about the Accu-Chek Inform II system and cobas IT 1000, please click on the ‘request information’ tab below.