Assessing the Clinical Impact of Twenty-four-hour Molecular Microbiology on Sepsis Cases at Whiston Hospital

This study aims to assess the impact of twenty-four hour working and molecular testing on turnaround times and more importantly to assess the clinical impact this has had both financially and in terms of the patient experience. This comes on the back of a recent case were a paediatric patient died from Pneumococcal septicaemia, the sample was flagged as positive in the early evening but was not acted upon until the following morning when the next shift started. Microbiology is a rapidly evolving field with an increasing repertoire of molecular tests available. To make the best use of this equipment, working patterns and methodologies must adjust to migrate away from traditional methods of working which took days to produce results to a more modern approach producing results within hours. This research aims to examine solutions to current problems within the NHS such as freeing up hospital beds, reducing hospital acquired infections, restricting antimicrobial resistance, improving patient care and reducing costs.