Seal of approval in hospital's Covid-19 antibody testing

University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has become one of the first trusts in the country to receive accreditation for Covid-19 antibody testing.

The trust's biochemistry department, based at Poole Hospital, has been certified as a quality service by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), the sole accreditation body for the country to assess organisations that provide inspection and testing services.

To achieve this, the department performed rapid testing of up to 1,000 Covid-19 antibody tests a day.

The antibody test shows whether someone has had Covid-19 or not and since late May, just under 40,000 antibody tests have been completed by the laboratory.

Tanya Hart, principal clinical scientist, said: "The Covid-19 antibody test ("anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies") was a unique challenge, because our biochemistry lab had never performed a test to detect antibodies to a virus before.

"It's a challenge to prove the accuracy of a test for a new disease, and we only had one week between taking delivery of reagents and the date on which we had to start performing the test.

"We started running the test in late May and completed nearly 12,000 samples in the first two weeks, mostly NHS staff from all across Dorset and Hampshire.

"The tests meant a lot of extra work for staff, but they stayed cheerful and were proud to be doing it.

"We believe we're one of the first labs in the country to get accreditation for this test."

Dr Ravinder Sodi, consultant clinical biochemist, added: "The attainment of UKAS accreditation is a sign that the laboratory has achieved the highest standards of quality, competency and safety and the biochemistry team at University Hospitals Dorset has worked hard to achieve this badge of recognition."