POCT All-Ireland Networking Forum

POCT

Tue 29 Sep 2026 09:00-16:00

CityNorth Hotel & Conference Centre, Ireland, 5 CPD Hours

Strengthen POCT practice across all-Ireland

This one-day, face-to-face conference is designed for POCT managers and coordinators, laboratory and quality leads, clinical scientists, biomedical scientists and service managers working to improve, deliver or expand point-of-care testing.

Focused on the shared challenges facing POCT teams, this engaging forum will help you benchmark your service and take away practical ideas for governance, accreditation, connectivity, training, competency, community testing and resourcing. You will leave with a clearer direction on how to strengthen quality, support safe expansion beyond hospital settings and make the case for sustainable POCT development.

Featuring an afternoon of split sessions focused on local priorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, this conference gives you the chance to explore relevant service challenges, share experiences with peers and avoid reinventing the wheel.

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Face-to-face 5 hours Free

Expand your knowledge

5 hours Continuing Professional Development: what you will learn

Attend this essential conference to gain clear, practical insight you can take back and apply to your POCT service. Key learning outcomes include:

Strengthening governance, quality management and accreditation across POCT services
Improving connectivity between POCT devices, middleware, laboratories and EPR systems
Supporting training, competency and compliance for safe, consistent POCT delivery
Demonstrating the clinical value of POCT through audit, pathway metrics and patient impact
Expanding POCT safely into community, off-site and neighbourhood care settings
Building stronger cases for staffing, facilities, resources and sustainable service development

Network and share experience

Advance connected, accredited and well-resourced POCT across all-Ireland

Come together with POCT colleagues from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to share experiences, exchange ideas and learn how others are tackling similar service challenges.

Gain practical insight from teams working across hospital, community and regional POCT services:

Hear different approaches to governance, accreditation, connectivity and competency
Share practical ideas with colleagues facing similar pressures around staffing, resources and service expansion
Learn how other POCT services are supporting safe testing beyond hospital settings
Benchmark your own service against different models, structures and ways of working
Use the split afternoon sessions to explore local priorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
Build professional connections that continue beyond the event and support future collaboration

Part of the POCT series

“Really useful content with lots of practical advice and ideas for how to move POCT services forwards” POCT National Networking Forum 2026, London

SBK Healthcare delivers established POCT networking forums across England, bringing together POCT leaders, laboratory specialists and service teams to share practical learning and real-world service developments.

We are pleased to expand this successful series with our first dedicated all-Ireland conference in Dublin, creating a new opportunity for colleagues across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to connect, collaborate and learn from one another.

Invitation to sponsor

9:00	Registration and networking opportunity
9:30	Introduction, instructions and chair’s opening remarks
All-Ireland update
9:40	The future of POCT across all-Ireland Mapping the current POCT landscape across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Highlighting shared priorities for accreditation, connectivity, workforce and community care Exploring how POCT can support safe, sustainable service development across all-Ireland
9:55	Questions and answers with your speakers
Governance, quality management and accreditation
10:05	Achieving accreditation and maintaining quality in POCT services Establishing governance structures that support consistent, well-managed POCT services Learning how established POCT teams maintain quality across growing and complex services Preparing for accreditation through practical approaches to compliance, EQA and comparability Helen Caverley, POCT Quality Coordinator and Senior Medical Scientist for Point of Care Testing, Cork University Hospital
10:35	Questions and answers with your speaker
10:45	Interactive discussion: Strengthening POCT governance, quality and accreditation in practice What governance structures support consistent, well-managed POCT services? How are teams approaching ISO/UKAS accreditation, and what has worked well? What practical approaches help teams maintain quality day to day?
11:05	Refreshments and networking break
Connected and competent POCT
11:25	Scaling POCT through connectivity, training and competency Connecting POCT devices, middleware, laboratories and EPR systems to support off-site testing Maintaining operator competency through training, compliance and online platforms Supporting off-site and community POCT through reliable digital systems and workforce structure
11:55	Questions and answers with your speaker
Clinical effectiveness and patient impact
12:05	Demonstrating the clinical value of POCT in patient pathways Showing how POCT supports faster decision-making and improved patient care Using audit data and pathway metrics to measure clinical effectiveness Case study: evaluating POCT impact in ED, cardiology or acute care pathways
12:35	Questions and answers with your speaker
12:45	Refreshments and networking lunch
Afternoon parallel streams
	At this point you will choose either the Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland stream for the afternoon sessions
1:50	Northern Ireland - POCT and the Neighbourhood Programme: Diagnostics closer to home Supporting neighbourhood care models across frailty, palliative care, obesity and respiratory pathways Identifying the right POCT tests for safe rollout in community settings Managing community POCT safely through lab-led governance, quality and oversight
	Republic of Ireland - Expanding POCT into community settings Supporting the safe rollout of POCT beyond hospital settings Managing requests for new POCT tests in community services Connecting off-site devices into laboratory, middleware and EPR systems
2:00	Questions and answers with your speakers
2:30	Northern Ireland - Interactive discussion: Delivering community POCT through neighbourhood care What POCT, IT and workforce support needs to be involved from the start of community POCT projects? What would be needed to set up a Community POCT team outside secondary care? What governance is needed for Community POCT, including the role of UKAS accreditation?
	Republic of Ireland - Interactive discussion: Supporting safe POCT expansion beyond hospital settings What are the biggest challenges when rolling out POCT beyond hospital settings? How are teams managing requests for new community POCT tests and devices? What evidence, staffing and infrastructure are needed to support sustainable service growth?
2:50	Refreshments and networking break
3:10	Northern Ireland - Optimising POCT through coordinated regional management Considering how managed service contracts can support standardised POCT delivery Understanding the Once for NI approach to procurement, POCT IT and service consistency Recognising the savings achieved through a unified regional approach
	Republic of Ireland - Making the case for POCT resources, staffing, and facilities Building stronger business cases for additional POCT posts, CDM support and service expansion Securing the right space, rooms and infrastructure for safe POCT delivery Case study: using a POCT staffing survey to benchmark resources and support investment Dr Michael O’Meara, Specialist Registrar in Chemical Pathology, Tallaght University Hospital
3:40	Questions and answers with your speakers
3:50	Chair’s closing remarks
4:00	Close of conference

Call for speakers

Your expert speaker line-up:

Helen Caverley

Job Title:

POCT Quality Coordinator and Senior Medical Scientist for Point of Care Testing

Organisation

Cork University Hospital

Biography

Dr Michael O’Meara

Job Title:

Specialist Registrar in Chemical Pathology

Organisation

Tallaght University Hospital

Biography

Michael O’Meara is a Specialist Registrar in Chemical Pathology. Prior to this Michael spent time as a renal registrar, haematology and transfusion registrar and completed the basic specialist training scheme in internal medicine and medical membership exams and is now working towards completion of FRCPath exams. Michael was also a medical scientist in clinical chemistry many years ago in St James’ Hospital.

Pricing structure

Venue details

Travel details

By Car

CityNorth Hotel & Conference Centre is located just off Junction 7 on the M1 Dublin to Belfast motorway, approximately 25–30 minutes from Dublin City Centre.

The venue offers complimentary on-site parking, including EV charging facilities for delegates travelling by car.

By Train

The nearest rail station is Gormanston Train Station, located approximately 4km from the venue. The station is served by Irish Rail commuter services operating between Dublin and Drogheda/Dundalk, with taxi and local transfer options available to the hotel.

By Bus / Coach

Matthews Coaches operate regular services between Dublin City Centre and Drogheda, with stops located directly outside the hotel, providing convenient access for delegates travelling by coach or bus.

By Air

Dublin Airport is approximately a 15 minute drive from the venue via the M1 motorway, making the hotel easily accessible for both domestic and international delegates.

Further travel and location information can be found here: CityNorth Hotel Location & Transport Information

What happens once you have made your booking?

Once you have booked your place, SBK Healthcare will correspond with you using the email address you provided at the time of booking and you will be sent a formal confirmation. If you have not received this within 48 hours of making your booking please check your junk folder and then email bookings@sbk-healthcare.co.uk or call 01732 897788. .

Approximately one week prior to the conference you will be sent an email which will include all the final details for attendance on the day, including a final agenda and venue information.

Please inform us by writing to bookings@sbk-healthcare.co.uk if you have any special dietary or other requirements.

Reservations

Terms and conditions

Modify registration

To let us know if your details are not correct when you have already registered, please email bookings@sbk-healthcare.co.uk.

Cancellations and substitutions

Although your place is free of charge failure to attend without written cancellation with at least 5 working days’ notice will result in a £100 charge. If your circumstances change and you find yourself no longer able to attend, please can you inform us in writing by emailing the bookings team, 5 working days prior to the event taking place. Substitution attendees for delegates unable to attend after registering are acceptable at any time.

Conference changes

It may be necessary for reasons beyond the control of the conference organisers to alter the content, speakers or the timing of the programme. We will endeavour to keep you abreast of such changes. Should the event be postponed, we will endeavour to reschedule the event. We do not accept any liability for any incurred costs resulting from a postponement or cancellation.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate for Continuing Professional Development will be given to every attendee, as a record of continuing professional training and development.

Privacy notices

To view the details on how your data is being collected and used, please view our Privacy policy.

Expected attendees

This face-to-face conference is ideal for professionals involved in the delivery, governance, quality, expansion or management of point-of-care testing. Book your place and join colleagues from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, including:

POCT Managers, Coordinators and Leads
Laboratory, Quality and Accreditation Managers
Clinical Scientists, Biomedical Scientists and Medical Scientists
Consultant Clinical Biochemists and Chemical Pathologists
Pathology, Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine Leads
Service Managers and Operational Leads
Community, Acute and Off-Site Testing Leads
Clinical teams using or developing POCT services
Digital, IT, Middleware and Connectivity Leads supporting POCT delivery

Past attendee feedback

“The depth of insight from this range of specialist speakers was invaluable.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2026

“Great to network with like-minded individuals and take ideas away to help improve own POCT service.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2026

“Excellent talks and networking opportunity.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2026

“All the speakers and their topics were very interesting and different, providing a wide perspective.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2026

“Informative and helpful for our own POCT service moving forwards.”
Implementing Pharmacogenetic POCT Devices Nationally Webinar, January, 2026

“Excellent network event with extremely useful updates in POCT.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2025

“Fantastic agenda, relevant and pertinent.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2025

“Very good. Excellent knowledge-sharing.”
POCT National Networking Forum, March, 2025

Why sponsor?

Your event, managed by us

SBK Healthcare also provides in-house forums. Working closely with you as the client we can research, produce, market and deliver the conference or online forum that best suits the audience and meets your goals.