8-9 November 2018 in London, UK
Jennifer Nichols is a biomedical scientist at the NHS Blood and Transplant in Filton, Bristol and she is also a candidate to become processing inspector. Her cell processing facility is due to JACIE reaccreditation next year, hence her great interest in attending this JACIE inspector Training Course in London. Jennifer tells us what she learnt during the course.
When I first heard about this course, I was immediately interested in participating. My Cell Processing facility is due a JACIE inspection in 2019, so I thought the course would help me compile the information required for the ‘dreaded’ audit. Also, the thought of becoming an inspector and exploring other centres to see how they operate was very appealing.
The course took place in London over two days, with the optional attendance at a group dinner. The first day looked quite intense, however the breaks were well planned and the content was both engaging and relevant. An introduction to the history and origin of the standards provided a great starting point for the course. Understanding why we inspect, including the desire to drive up standards, was a good foundation for the next day and a half.
Over the two days, talks on the clinical, collection, quality and cell processing sections of the standards were informative, educational and interesting. Further discussion involving Immune Effector Cells, which include CAR-T cell applications, was especially relevant in the current climate.
All four speakers (Sandra Loaiza, Kim Orchard, Anne Emmett and Tuula Rintala) had a great deal of experience and were happy to share knowledge, anecdotes and advice. Hints for what to look for in an audit were useful, both for my impending role as an inspector and for when the time comes for my facility to be inspected.
Both Q&A sessions were incredibly useful. Kim Orchard discussed his role as an inspector, drawing on many years of experience, and encouraged an organised approach to inspections. The second Q&A with Anne Emmett, which focussed on the perspective of facility under inspection, was also great – her experiences of both first-time inspections and reaccreditation struck a chord with many of the delegates.
The practical sessions were also invaluable – the report writing section was particularly useful to all, with Louise McNamara running through both the report and the checklist, giving guidance in her role as report assessor. Learning about the reporting process was very helpful in terms of understanding what the JACIE team require from us, and why they may contact us for extra evidence or clarification.
I enjoyed the mock inspection exercise – it was a fun way to consolidate all the theory from the course. A Programme Director, Quality Manager and a Junior Nurse were interviewed, with the body language and technique of the mock inspectors evaluated by fellow delegates.
The evening dinner was a great chance to talk further with the course leaders, speakers and other attendees. Everyone was friendly, with questions welcomed and free flowing.
Overall this course dispelled the myth of the 'scary inspector/inspection' and I was keen to share the peer review basis of this audit process with my colleagues. This course demonstrates the focus on improvement, not criticism. It is the foundation of the JACIE accreditation process, and the friendly nature of the inspectors, delegates and course leaders made it a very enjoyable experience.
Biomedical scientist at the NHS Blood and Transplant in Bristol
