Service information

• Pathology Services – About Us
• Location and Opening Hours
• General Contact Information
• Confidentiality and Personal Investigations
• Complaints and User Feedback
• Patient Care and Respect
• RCPath National Minimum Retesting Intervals
• Lab Tests Online

Adding on Further Tests and factors affecting the performance of tests

Add on for Chemistry/Haematology and Immunology Tests

Biotin Interference in Beckman Coulter Immunoassays at SPS

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Our customers will be notified of any planned or unplanned events that significantly affect the expected turnaround time of pathology results, using one or more of the methods below;

• Notifications on the front page of ICE
• Via each trusts internal notification system (Intranet, email and weekly newsletters)
• GP and other non-trust customers via email

Southwest Pathology Services has robust contingency and escalation plans covering all aspects of the service

All specimens must be transported safely and in accordance with the Southwest Pathology Services policy on the transportation of biological materials.

Specimens should be contained within a sealed bag together with the attached request form (this applies to all manual requests and most pathology requests). Blood samples electronically ordered at GP surgeries are transported in racks provided by pathology. Larger volume specimens should be secured within a plastic bag or other such arrangements.

The laboratory must be advised if you deliver a sample and leave it in the designated specimen delivery points. These are available near each laboratory main entrance.

Samples should be transported to the laboratory at ambient temperature (unless otherwise specified by the laboratory) and transported within an agreed time frame to preserve the integrity of the samples. Markedly delayed delivery or exposure of samples to extreme temperatures should be reported to pathology.

Storage of specimens collected after departure of last transport – see Sample Storage Guidance

Collection Service

The transport of external specimens to the laboratories is managed by the facilities departments of each hospital which provides a courier service for samples from GPs and external hospitals, and a portering service for internal samples. See – Collections and Delivery Times – ESL Labs to Hub Lab

For more details see Musgrove Park Hospital Courier Service website.

Porters provide a scheduled collection service in both hospitals. For ad-hoc requests wards are encouraged to use the hospital air tube system. Porters should only be phoned for the collection of urgent specimens or in the event of air tube failure.

Yeovil District Hospital (YDH) Microbiology Specimens: Microbiology specimens are processed at the Hub Laboratory. A limited number of laboratory staff will remain in the laboratory after “routine hours” to ensure that incoming specimens from YDH are processed the same day. See – Collection and Delivery Times for Microbiology

Air Tube System

Taunton
A comprehensive pneumatic air tube system is available adjacent to many locations. This should be used for small specimens & blood cultures but must not be used for histology or high-risk specimens. (See instructions at each station). Always check that the system is operational BEFORE presenting the carrier.

The air tube system is managed by the MPH Estates Dept

Yeovil
The main hospital block only is supplied with a pneumatic air tube system for the transportation of samples. This must not be used for heavy objects, blood products or the return of empty blood bags. This should be used for small specimens & blood cultures but must not be used for histology or high-risk specimens. Always check that the system is operational BEFORE presenting the pod to the system.

The air tube system is managed by the YDH Estates Dept

Electronic requests via ICE

Orders provided by ICE will contain all the patient and test information required to link the patient to an existing record or create a new record within the laboratory system. Each specimen label contains a unique barcode to link the patient, specimen type and associated tests to the electronic order. It is important that you add the correct label to the correct specimen container. The specimen container is clearly shown on the label in the top left corner e.g. SST (Yellow Top). Please note – for electronic requests, we no longer require a request form and on arrival in the lab all specimen containers are scanned into the laboratory system.

Manual requests

All specimens must be clearly labelled (patient’s surname, forename, date of birth, time and date of collection) and accompanied by a correctly completed request form which must indicate:

• date and time of sample
• hospital number
• surname
• forename
• date of birth
• hospital and ward
• investigation(s) required
• reason for the request
• identity of the person collecting the primary sample.

The patient’s NHS Number/hospital number is essential. Please note – specimens & request forms without adequate identifiers may be rejected.

For full details – see Southwest Pathology Sample Acceptance Policy

Guide – What happens if my request fails the minimum required data set

Collection guides

• Tube Guide BD Vacutainer System
• Specimen Collection Requirements for tests in Blood Sciences (Full List inc TATs)
• Coagulation Citrate BD Collection Information

Ordering pathology supplies

Pathology supplies must be requested using the appropriate form, which should be completed and emailed to SPSStores@SomersetFT.nhs.uk

For GP Surgeries ONLY – Downloadable Word Template

For Community Hospital and Treatment Centres ONLY – Downloadable Word Template

For MPH & YDH Acute Hospitals ONLY – Downloadable Word Template

Phlebotomy

Blood should be collected by venepuncture using the vacutainer system without the use of a tourniquet if possible. If a syringe and needle are used to collect blood, the needle should be removed from the syringe before transferring the blood to the appropriate vacutainer tube. After replacing the stopper, the contents of the tube should be mixed gently to dissolve anticoagulant or clotting accelerator but the tube should NOT be shaken vigorously.

Somerset Foundation Trust

MPH and YDH are responsible for their respective Phlebotomy Services. Please see trust guidelines on the trust intranet for details of the service provided.

Our laboratories are accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS). You can find out more information here.

The POCT Team are part of Southwest Pathology Services. You can find more information about POCT here.

Find out more about our NHS partners at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust here.