Standardising Blood Culture Collection To Reduce Infections

Standardising blood culture collection to reduce Hospital Acquired Infections, improve patient safety and accelerate diagnosis 

North West London Pathology (NWLP) is one of the UK’s largest diagnostic networks – processing 65 million tests a year across seven hospitals and 280 GP practices. At that scale, consistency at the point of sample collection is critical. 

However, variation in how blood cultures were being collected was creating real clinical pressure. Differences in practice and pack quality were increasing the likelihood of contamination and false positives, driving repeat sampling and adding avoidable workload for already stretched clinical teams. 

The knock‑on effect was slower, less reliable diagnostics in pathways where speed and accuracy matter most. 

A partnership focused on removing variation

RDi partnered with NWLP to address this challenge by introducing a single, standardised approach to blood culture collection. 

Together, we designed and implemented a fully regulated, CE‑marked, ANTT‑aligned blood culture collection pack, which has been deployed across all Trusts. This has brought every ward onto the same safe, repeatable workflow and supported clinicians with a system designed to remove any uncertainty at the point of collection. 

This ensures consistent, repeatable practice across A&E, ITU and acute wards, removing variation before a sample ever reaches the laboratory. 

Our blood culture collection packs are medical‑grade and fully standardised, with end‑to‑end digital traceability built in to support governance and compliance. Designed to be clinician‑ready, the packs enable faster, more efficient workflows while being supported by a resilient, compliant supply chain. 

The impact: Faster, safer, more reliable diagnosticsRemoving variation from blood culture collection strengthens diagnostic reliability at scale by supporting: 

• Fewer contaminated samples and false positives 

• Reduced repeat sampling and waste 

• Faster, more dependable diagnostic results 

• Greater clinical confidence across teams 

Full traceability supports stronger governance and oversight across the pathway

A modern approach to diagnostic quality

Improving diagnostic outcomes doesn’t start in the lab – it starts with the quality and consistency of the sample itself. For procedures like blood culture collection, even small variations in technique or components can impact contamination rates, clinical confidence and patient safety. 

By removing variation and ensuring clinicians across all wards follow the same regulated, repeatable process, we strengthen the entire diagnostic pathway long before a sample ever reaches the lab. 

This is how quality, safety and speed are delivered at scale. 

Making blood culture collection simpler and more consistent 

The RDi x NWLP collaboration is a working example of how NHS organisations and health‑tech partners can work together to improve sample collection quality, reduce risk and support safer patient care. 

If you’re facing similar challenges and need a more consistent approach to sample collection, get in touch.