Synnovis Statement of Purpose

Synnovis is a clinically led, customer focused and scientifically driven full service pathology provider of accurate, timely and clinically useful prognostic, diagnostic and screening results, blood and blood products, with clinical advice provided by NHS Consultants, to the NHS and private sector locally, nationally and internationally. Services include core pathology such as Blood Sciences, Tissue Sciences and Infection Sciences, typically delivered from each operational site and specialised tests such as Genetics, Clinical Transplantation and Biochemical Sciences delivered from centres of excellence. These Services participate in research, development and clinical trials. A detailed scope for each location is available.

The Synnovis Management System supports the business vision to be the leading pathology provider of high quality, cost effective pathology services and ensures that:

• Synnovis has a business reputation based on safety, quality and customer service, using innovation to build a competitive advantage in chosen market sectors so that Synnovis Pathology becomes the provider of choice.
• Synnovis identifies its resource requirements through an effective management structure to ensure that risk and improvement opportunities are identified and acted on to protect or improve the health and safety of patients, staff and visitors.
• Synnovis Services operates above the minimum level of quality and compliance set by legislation and professional standards in the environment we operate.
• Synnovis integrates its organisational structure, processes and procedures required to fulfil this policy and demonstrate improved quality outcomes.
• Synnovis has an effective governance system that ensures accountability and provides internal and external assurance through reliable and relevant evidence. It operates through the Synnovis Governance, Risk and Quality Framework, which offers assurance from Bench to Board.
• Synnovis engages stakeholders to understand, meet and exceed their needs and requirements for patient safety, clinical effectiveness, operational performance, patient and stakeholder engagement.
• Synnovis maintains an ethical culture and environment to underpin the business values. High standards of behaviour, employee engagement and empowerment with accountability is maintained to allow excellence in our services to flourish.

Synnovis strives to maintain and develop a high quality, flexible workforce that is committed, engaged, trained and supported to provide the highest level of service to our users in accordance with relevant good professional guidance. Through recruitment, induction and training, employees will be made familiar with this policy and relevant content and procedures of the management system. Synnovis' commitment to quality commences at the point of initial contact with potential staff through a Quality statement in every job description.

Each employee holds a personal responsibility for the quality of the work that they perform.

Competency assessment and appraisal is used to ensure ongoing capability and identify individual personal development.

Managers and supervisors provide effective leadership and create a culture and working environment that allows operational performance and change management to be achieved by employees who are empowered to make suggestions and take decisions.

Key performance and quality indicators are used to enhance operational performance and remove variation from laboratory processes. Internal quality control and assurance known as OPMS (Operating Performance Managing System) and GRQ (Governance, Risk and Quality workbook) is used as part of the overall assurance mechanism along with clinical and internal audit to monitor adequacy of operating procedures and effectiveness of the quality system.

Quality tools such as root cause analysis are used to ensure effective corrective actions are implemented and all lessons learned are disseminated in a timely manner.

We require all our employees to comply with data legislation including the General Data Protection Regulations (2018) and the Data Protection Act (2018) in addition to Synnovis policies. Data protection principles are reinforced throughout Synnovis via Information Governance mandatory training for all staff which is monitored via the Information Governance committee.

We allow accreditation and regulatory bodies appropriate access to the knowledge systems which we maintain, to provide third party assurance to Synnovis and our stakeholders.