Pathology service

several laboratory glasses

The labs are staffed from 6am to 1am Mon – Fri and from 8am to 10pm on weekends. There are 2 people on call overnight for urgent bloods.

Blood bottles must NOT have ID stickers stuck on them! You have to hand write the patient details. There are stickers to write on for the paediatric bottles.

You order pathology tests on TrakED and the form prints out at the nearest printer. Transfusion specimens have a separate form to hand write.

Most samples go to the lab in the pneumatic transport system. Microbiology specimens cannot go in the pod (this includes swabs). There is a basket to put these specimens in and they will be delivered to the lab by our support staff.

All results should be checked, signed off and recorded in patient’s notes. If the patient is discharged prior to the results being available, follow up arrangements including a copy of the results should be made with the patient’s GP or specialist.