Criterion PoCT1.2 – Clinical responsibility

The successful implementation of PoCT requires skills, knowledge and time. To ensure results are of a uniformly high quality, your practice needs to properly manage relevant organisational and technical activities.

This can be best achieved if one member of the clinical team is responsible for, and oversees, PoCT activities.

A designated member of the clinical team must have ultimate responsibility for PoCT undertaken by the practice.  

This person: 

• must have an adequate understanding of PoCT, including 
  • the diagnostic and technical applications and any limitations 
  • these Standards for PoCT 
  • your practice’s PoCT policies and procedures 
• must have competency in using PoCT. This may be through provision of evidence of appropriate PoCT training (eg external courses, in-house programs, ‘on the job’ training at the practice) that aligns with your practice’s PoCT program or system  
• can delegate their day-to-day PoCT responsibilities to an appropriately trained PoCT practitioner but must retain ultimate oversight of PoCT in the practice. 

PoCT1.2  A Our practice has at least one member of the clinical team who has primary responsibility, authority and accountability for the quality of PoCT. 

You must:  

• have at least one clinical team member who has overall primary responsibility for the implementation, conduct, quality and accreditation of PoCT within the practice 
• have at least one clinical team member on duty when PoCT is being used who accepts the responsibility of running PoCT within the practice
• demonstrate that the responsible team member is competent in using PoCT.  

You could: 

•  maintain a clinical governance policy
• maintain a standing order for practice nurses to carry out a PoCT and to interpret the result according to their level of training and scope of practice.