Indexor

Indexor is a sample tracking system which simplifies the collection of blood samples. It is being introduced to create efficiencies within the system and to reduce occurrences of pre-analytics errors.

It is already being used successfully by hospital Trusts across England and Scotland.

Across January 2025, we have now rolled out Indexor successfully throughout all of our Synnovis Phlebotomy community and hospital sites (including Gracefield Gardens and Tessa Jowell)

Using the information shared with us from GP practices we will be allocating Indexor equipment where enough bleeds occur per week to lead to effective use of the system. We will be contacting these practices individually. 

Where this threshold isn’t met, practices will continue to send blood samples in as they currently do.

If you feel your practice would benefit from the system and are not contacted about receiving Indexor, please get in touch by emailing LetsTalk@synnovis.co.uk. We will consider the feasibility of each request and may contact you for further information.

Our current focus is on introducing the Indexor system in primary care settings. However, we are engaging with other phlebotomy providers to demonstrate the benefits of the Indexor system for our region.

We will be holding mandatory training sessions for primary care users in the new year, to ensure people feel confident and to help ensure a smooth transition. We will confirm the details of these sessions when we confirm the phased roll-out plan.

• Eliminates the need for phlebotomists to bag tubes for transport, saving time and allowing clinicians to be more engaged with a patient
• Once placed in the iRack, the sample remains undisturbed until it reaches our laboratories and therefore reduces excessive handling of samples
• The new system will automatically capture collection, transportation and temperature data. This information, which is currently manually recorded, can mean that poor compliance can result in sample instability and increased reporting of unnecessarily high potassium results
• Improved tracking data will reduce the occurrence of missing and delayed test results which lead to patients being recalled, or lead to missed reporting for GPs
• Streamlines the booking-in process at our laboratories - up to 60 samples can be booked in less than a minute. These efficiencies will bring service improvements for primary and community care service users
• Indexor reduces paper and plastic waste associated with the traditional practise of individually bagging samples

No, you will still order tests using tQuest. You will still take the sample and apply the tQuest label as you do today.

However, instead of placing the sample in a plastic bag you will scan your sample and place it straight into an iRack. The iRack contains an RFID tag which holds the barcode identification and associated test details but does not hold any patient identification. When the rack is ready for collection, a lid is placed on top of the iRack, which is then placed in the Indexor transport bag.

No, Indexor is a standalone system which requires no wi-fi connection - the only requirement is a power supply. Simply plug the scanner and Mini (docking station) into a wall plug and it is ready for use.

Indexor does not need to integrate with any clinical system or any practice hardware, meaning minimal disruption to the way you work.

Yes. Indexor will only be used for the storage and transportation of blood samples. Swabs, urines and stool samples will continue to be stored and collected as they are today.

When your collection nears, place a lid on the iRack and place it into the transport bag. Please ensure you place paper request forms on top of the samples. Placing the paper forms underneath the sample racks will stop the transmission of information from the RFID tag in the base of the bag.

A flashing light system on the iRack will show a phlebotomist the exact slot in which to place a blood sample tube. When samples arrive at a Synnovis laboratory, the iRack will be loaded into our docking system and checked in. The system will identify the pre-determined location of each sample in the rack and, using the code on the tQuest label, pair it with the correct patient in our laboratory information management system (LIMS).

Yes - automated information capture capabilities will mean any missing samples can be identified quickly. The manual handling of samples is also significantly reduced when using Indexor, leading to a reduced risk of pre-analytics errors.

tQuest forms that continue to print with the sample should be placed in the Indexor bag. Please ensure you place paper request forms on top of the samples. Placing the paper forms underneath the sample racks will stop the transmission of information from the RFID tag in the base of the bag.

Yes, you will still place the tQuest order and print the form as you do today. The forms should be placed in the top of the transport bag and on top of the samples.

Yes - if you are requesting multiple tests using a single sample you will generate the request forms as you do today, before placing all request forms in the top of the transport bag.

Synnovis are currently reviewing the current courier provision with a view to keeping collections as close to current collection times as possible. Our logistics team will contact any sites where there will be a significant change.

The hardware is unintrusive and designed to sit comfortably on a desktop. The iRack sits within a docking station, similar in size to a standard keyboard.

Measurements in inches: Indexor Mini – L 16.5 W 5.5, Scanner – L 4.5 W5.

Using the information shared with us by GP practices, we will be allocating Indexor equipment to sites where enough blood samples are taken per week to lead to the effective use of the system. We will be contacting these practices individually. 

Where this threshold isn’t met, practices will continue to send blood samples in as they currently do.

We will be sharing further information about Indexor and upcoming webinars and drop-in sessions in our primary and community care newsletter, In SYNc. If you don’t currently receive our newsletters, email LetsTalk@synnovis.co.uk to be added to our distribution list.  

You can also get in touch by emailing LetsTalk@synnovis.co.uk with any questions or queries.  

Not neccessarilly. The number of Minis, scanners and iRacks allocated is tailored to each GP practice or phlebotomy site depending on a multitude of factors including the volume of samples and the layout of your space. Before the equipment is installed a member of our team will visit you on site to identify the suitability of the space after which we can allocate appropriate amount of equipment.

The use of the Indexor equipment does not change the test ordering or blood collection processes. The only change will be after the sample is taken when the clinician will scan the tube and place it in to the iRack instead of placing it into a plastic bag and sealing it. Scanning the tube and placing it in to an iRack takes considerably less time than the current process. You can watch our video about how the system works here.

We conducted a successful pilot project within a group of GP practices in Bromley who have found that they enjoy using the system and, because of its benefits, have not reverted to the former way of individually bagging their samples.

The system is being installed because this is the way blood samples will be collected and booked in to our laboratories in the future. It is important that the system is used by the practices where it is installed.

Before the system is installed, a member of our team will visit your practice to conduct a space and risk assessment. Although the system is compact and we hope all practices identified can benefit from the system, we will first discuss the practicalities of adopting Indexor at your surgery with you before further action.