Fully Automated Coagulation Testing

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is using two STA-R Evolution® analysers from Stago to provide fully automated coagulation testing throughout West Cheshire. Kathleen Holden, a Senior BMS in the Blood Sciences section, explained: “Five years ago, we combined our haematology and biochemistry teams to create a multi-skilled Blood Sciences section. Automation of our workflow to give us the capacity to cope with an ever-increasing workload was a key aspect of this re¬organisation, and Stago’s STA-R Evolution analyser offered the best fit for our coagulation needs.”

Kathleen continued: “Our two STA-R Evolution platforms – alongside a semi-automated STart® platform – offer straightforward, user-friendly operation for our multi-disciplinary team. These instruments also use a physical clot detection system which is less susceptible to interference than optical methods, reducing our need for retesting. Since bringing the analysers into routine operation, we have been very happy with their performance; they have proved to be really reliable ‘workhorse’ systems. If we do have any problems, the training we received from Stago helps us to troubleshoot many issues in house, and the UK technical support team have been very helpful on the few occasions we have needed them.”