Laboratory information relating to changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will be published on a separate page: Coronavirus: laboratory news and updates.
Note some links may be broken where content has subsequently been removed, and pages may have had further updates since those listed below.
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21 December 2022 |
Changes to antibiotic susceptibility reporting from Microbiology RSCH, UHSussex NHS Trust. |
revision 2022.062 | |
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30 November 2022 |
Manganese sample type update. |
revision 2022.061 | |
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29 November 2022 |
Lithium page updated. |
revision 2022.060 | |
| 7 December 2022 | FIB-4 page added. | revision 2022.059 | |
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21st November 2022 |
Update to sweat testing (addition of <30 mmol/L cutoff for sweat chloride in babies under 6 months old). |
revision 2022.058 | |
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New revision of Post Vasectomy Instruction Sheet - see post vasectomy specimens |
revision 2022.057 | ||
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8th November 2022 |
New booking system for Phlebotomy Outpatients From Monday 14 November the Phlebotomy Outpatients Department will be introducing a new online booking system at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Princess Royal Hospital and Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital, allowing patients to book their own appointments at a time and location that is convenient to them. We will be maintaining a walk-in service for the foreseeable future. However, we do believe that if the patient can book in advance their experience will be significantly improved. Appointments can be made via the following: Email: Phone: 01444 441881 ext: 68199 |
revision 2022.056 | |
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18 October 2022 |
Clozapine page updated. |
revision 2022.055 | |
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17 October 2022 |
Update to Biochemistry and Immunology contacts. Update to clinical referrals and advice page - Biochemistry no longer routinely provides dynamic function test service. |
revision 2022.054 | |
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11 October 2022 |
Updates to Virology pages: body fluid exposure – virology screening, hepatitis B serology & viral load testing, hepatitis C virus core antigen serology, lymphadenopathy - diagnostic virology, maculopapular rash ± fever - diagnostic virology, meningitis/encephalitis - diagnostic virology, syphilis serology and virology screen for GUM patients (non-HIV positive). |
revision 2022.053 | |
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21 September 2022 |
Peak and trough ranges added to Heparin assay (Anti-Xa) for once daily dosing on Enoxaparin. |
revision 2022.052 | |
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Updated content for Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, Fondaparinux, Edoxaban and Dabigatran. |
revision 2022.051 | ||
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20 September 2022 |
UKAS update for reference number 9678: The virology testing service accreditation for ISO 15189:2012 has been temporarily suspended for a period of up to six months. Please contact the laboratory 01273 664621 or the Interim Pathology Quality Manager ( |
revision 2022.050 | |
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14 September 2022 |
Additional information added for ethylene glycol and methanol. |
revision 2022.049 | |
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13 September 2022 |
Update to urine citrate turnaround time. |
revision 2022.048 | |
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The reporting of albumin-adjusted serum magnesium has been discontinued. |
revision 2022.047 | ||
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6 September 2022 |
New telephoning ranges for ethanol - from 1/9/22 the lab will telephone: all detected ethanols in children up to 13 years, 1500 mg/L and above in children 13-17 years, 4000 mg/L and above for 18 years and over. |
revision 2022.046 | |
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31 August 2022 |
Cryofibrinogen is now routinely offered with cryoglobulin - see cryoproteins. |
revision 2022.045 | |
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Update to 25-hydroxyvitamin D reference range (removal of upper limit). |
revision 2022.044 | ||
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17 August 2022 |
The referral laboratory for the following tests has informed us that they are experiencing delays due to staff shortages, primarily due to COVID-19:
Urgent samples are being prioritised, therefore please provide as much clinical information as possible to help the referral lab determine the urgency of your request. If clinicians have samples from patients in whom a metabolic disorder is strongly suspected that they would like to be processed urgently, they should follow the usual procedure and discuss the case with the paediatric or adult metabolic clinical team at the Evelina London and St Thomas’ Hospital respectively. The laboratory will prioritise urgent samples in discussion with, and with direction from, the metabolic clinical teams. |
revision 2022.043 | |
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Alpha-1 antitrypsin phenotyping: due to a national shortage of a reagent this service is temporarily unavailable. Samples are being stored and will be analysed once the service resumes. If the alpha-1 antitrypsin quantitation is below 0.9 g/L and a clinically significant deficiency is suspected you can send samples to the SE Genomic Hub for alpha-1 antitrypsin genotyping (National Genomic Test Directory code R191 Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. The request form including sample requirements is downloadable here: https://southeastgenomics.nhs.uk/glh/cardiac-respiratory/ |
revision 2022.042 | ||
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10 August 2022 |
Upcoming changes to reference ranges for lipase and DHEAS due to change of analysers at referral laboratory. |
revision 2022.041 | |
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8 August 2022 |
LDL cholesterol added to non-fasting lipid profile. |
revision 2022.040 | |
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3 August 2022 |
Age-specific reference range for serum calcium for > 90 years age group has been removed. |
revision 2022.039 | |
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Updating dynamic function tests -
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revision 2022.038 | ||
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25 July 2022 |
Update to Environmental Microbiology Unit (EMU) page. |
revision 2022.037 | |
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19 July 2022 |
Updating dynamic function tests -
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revision 2022.036 | |
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New equation for adjusted serum calcium. |
revision 2022.035 | ||
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18 July 2022 |
Update to histopathology turnaround times and referral laboratory information. |
revision 2022.034 | |
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12 July 2022 |
Link to UK Guidelines for Thyroid Function Tests under TFT replaced with link to NICE guideline NG145 Thyroid disease: assessment and management. |
revision 2022.033 | |
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5 July 2022 |
Addition of NICE NG12 age-specific thresholds to PSA. |
revision 2022.032 | |
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Updating dynamic function tests -
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revision 2022.031 | ||
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21 June 2022 |
Page for EMA test for red cell membrane abnormalities renamed as EMA binding test for red cell membrane abnormalities to avoid confusion with endomysial antibody. |
revision 2022.030 |
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14 June 2022
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Update to Histopathology diagnostic testing referral information: Idylla EGFR PCR Test is no longer routinely performed in-house. It is now part of the new NGS DNA panel tested at GSTT Genomic Laboratory Hub. |
revision 2022.029 |
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| Update to Taking blood cultures page. |
revision 2022.028 |
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Restrictions to the Microbiology service that were introduced temporarily in September 2021 have been rescinded. |
revision 2022.027 |
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7 June 2022 |
Updating Dynamic function tests -
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revision 2022.026 |
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6 June 2022 |
Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria updated for sample stability time. |
revision 2022.025 |
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1 June 2022 |
Clozapine listing updated - link to monitoring service added. |
revision 2022.024 |
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31 May 2022 |
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revision 2022.023 |
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Updates to CMV (Cytomegalovirus) testing, including changes to:
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revision 2022.022 |
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| Update to turnaround time for alpha-1 antitrypsin phenotyping |
revision 2022.021 |
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30 May 2022 |
Change of referral laboratory for second trimester Down's screening. |
revision 2022.020 |
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| Kade Flowers added to Biochemistry contacts. |
revision 2022.019 |
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17 May 2022 |
Referral laboratory requires four points of identification for faecal elastase. |
revision 2022.018 |
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16 May 2022 |
Beta hydroxybutyrate method is validated in neonates (ref Nova StatStrip® package insert 2020-07). |
revision 2022.017 |
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10 May 2022 |
Updating Dynamic function tests - water deprivation test protocols removed as this test is now carried out by Endocrinology. |
revision 2022.016 |
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9 May 2022 |
Correction to skin antibody - referring to St Richard's Hospital, Chichester. |
revision 2022.015 |
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7 May 2022 |
Update to information on DNA/ genetic testing. |
revision 2022.014 |
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| Change of referral laboratory for T-cell gene rearrangement. |
revision 2022.013 |
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26 April 2022 |
New revision of instructions for collecting salivary cortisol samples. |
revision 2022.012 |
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Update to trimethylaminuria information. |
revision 2022.011 | ||
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12 April 2022 |
New Consultant Chemical Pathologist is Dr. Gayan De Costa. | revision 2022.010 | |
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11 April 2022 |
Link for request form download added for karyotype. | revision 2022.009 | |
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22nd March 2022 |
Update/ corrections to cold agglutinins information. | revision 2022.008 | |
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9th March 2022 |
Updated page for cholinesterase (OP exposure) (previously red cell acetylcholinesterase). | revision 2022.007 | |
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8th March 2022 |
Updated page for CMV (Cytomegalovirus) testing. | revision 2022.006 | |
| New page for taipan snake venom time (TSVT) and ecarin time (ET). | revision 2022.005 | ||
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2nd March 2022 |
Updates to Cellular Pathology content including updated Mortuary page and removal of old PRH content. | revision 2022.004 | |
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1st March 2022 |
Update to antiretroviral therapeutic drug monitoring page for change of name of referral laboratory. | revision 2022.003 | |
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4 January 2022 |
New revision of instructions for submission of samples from suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. | revision 2022.002 | |
| Update to blood culture bottle names and caps (plastic bottles have replaced glass). |
revision 2022.001 |
From the end of 2021:
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23 December 2021 |
Upcoming change to lipoprotein (a) reporting (units and comments). | revision 2021.061 |
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14 December 2021 |
Change to urine albumin (ACR) reference range. |
revision 2021.060 |
| Change to alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes turnaround time. |
revision 2021.059 |