Ideagen’s Q-Pulse successfully delivers unified quality management for Southampton University Hospital's Biomedical Research Facility
The University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Biomedical Research facility provides the clinical platform for the research activities for Southampton’s major NIHR-funded translational research centres and units, including the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, NIHR Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit and NIHR Cancer Research UK Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre.
Ensuring quality and safety are fundamental to the success of the facility, underscored by its status as one of only four publicly-funded clinical research facilities with full early phase accreditation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Heavy document management and processing demands across Southampton’s NIHR infrastructure and hospital Trust R&D office placed increasing time and staffing pressures on these groups, with significant challenges in version control, effective sharing and unified access to critical information.
The team initially implemented Q-Pulse to improve control of their documentation, but quickly realising Q-Pulse’s capabilities meant they could use it to manage their assets effectively as well.
Through Q-Pulse, staff electronically acknowledge and approve SOPs and other documents relating to their research, ensuring central control and oversight of changes. At the same time over 1000 pieces of equipment and associated records are on the system, meaning appropriate members of staff are automatically notified of calibration and maintenance dates via the solution.
Benefits
- A hosted Q-Pulse solution overcomes strict NHS N3 network access restrictions to allow staff from University and Hospital alike to access clinical research documentation
- Effective document control has been achieved through central management of processes, SOPs and other documentation
- Over 1000 items of clinical research facility equipment managed in Q-Pulse, automating maintenance, servicing and calibration scheduling
Through our calibration and maintenance records stored in Q-Pulse, we can prove to inspectors – the MHRA for example – that our equipment does what it says it does.
