Skip to main content
Smaller Larger Print

MENU
Close

Request procedures

See the main Tests section for general information on request procedures.

Handwritten request forms are no longer in use. All Histopathology and Diagnostic Cytology requests should only be made on the electronic health record system (EHRS). It is essential that you ensure a printed request form with an electronic request number is sent with the specimen to Cellular Pathology.

The following details must be provided as a minimum acceptance criteria:

  • Patient first and surname (clearly printed labels must be present on all copies)
  • Date of birth
  • Patient Gender
  • Hospital number/ NHS number
  • Site of specimen
  • Clinical Details
  • Date and time of sample collection (this information is paramount to ensure timely processing of your request)

The destination of the report, the name of the requesting clinician and a contact number for the responsible clinician must be provided.

This enables the laboratory to contact the clinician regarding unsuitable samples and for communication urgent results.

Please provide information on what you are looking for from the sample.

HILIS forms (HMDS Integrated Laboratory Information System) can be downloaded directly from HILIS and must be completed in full. All forms should be marked ‘HIGH RISK’ if known.

 


Urgent Samples

Any case that is required urgently (in working hours) must be discussed with the duty consultant prior to its receipt.

To ensure the case is dealt with at the earliest opportunity, the sample should be brought to the department by a member of the ward staff or specially- arranged porter. In this situation, the sample should be transported in a suitable receptacle, which prevents members of the public seeing patient identifiable details and within UN3373 regulations. Such containers should be available on each ward.


Turnaround Times

Histology

The time taken to process and report a specimen depends on its size, and the complexity of the case. An urgent, same-day diagnosis can be arranged by telephoning the specialty lead consultant histopathologist.

Depending on the complexity of the case and additional specialist techniques required for diagnosis, the average turnaround time to diagnostic report after receipt in the laboratory is::

  • Aim to report 80% in 7 days
  • Aim to report 98% in 10 days

A typed report will not be available before this time, but an interim report may be issued by the Consultant Histopathologist. Consultants are always available to discuss cases upon request.


Diagnostic Cytology

We aim to report on Diagnostic Cytology specimens within 48 hours of receipt into the laboratory.

Urgent samples

In some circumstances, a report may be required urgently. In these cases the request form must be marked “URGENT” and with a contact name and telephone/bleep number. In exceptional circumstances, for some cases, it is possible to obtain results on the same day as sampling. Such requests must be discussed beforehand with one of the Consultant Histopathologists.

Results

Summary reports of histology and diagnostic cytology requests are available electronically via EPIC (UCLH), ICE (WH) or Cerner (RFH, B&CF and NMUH). Results are available as soon as the report has been authorised electronically by the reporting pathologist, and therefore provides prompt information. It is essential to check results on your institutions patient management system before contacting the medical administration team.

Molecular results are directly uploaded and available on your institutions patient management system. Regular users of the molecular service may be able to get direct access to results via the Marsden Order and View system.

Clinicians are welcome at all times to visit the laboratories to discuss their cases and view slides.