Urgent work

Requests for urgent analysis during “normal working hours” (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 8.00pm and Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays, 9.00am to 5.00pm):

Please telephone the laboratory on extension 2687 for bacteriology requests, and on extension 2726 for virology requests.

Make sure that you inform us of the patient's name, sample type and the test requested.

Request for urgent analysis outside “normal working hours” (weekdays, 8.00pm to 8.00am and weekends and Bank Holidays, 5.00pm to 9.00am):

The Microbiology Laboratory operates an on-call service for CSF samples, theatre specimens and body fluids - such as joint fluids (but excluding urine).

The Microbiology biomedical scientist (BMS) on-call must be contacted by the Switchboard Operator when any specimen requires urgent microbiological analysis out of normal working hours.

Only contact the BMS once the specimen has been collected and has been sent to the laboratory.

It is the responsibility of the doctor initiating the request to ensure that urgent and important samples are expected by the relevant laboratory. The result will be telephoned to the doctor initiating the request. It is essential the name and bleep number is written on the form.

Requesting clinicians must ensure blood cultures and CSF samples collected outside normal laboratory hours are taken to the pathology reception within 30 minutes of collection.