Blood Sciences

The following tests are performed by the Haematology and Coagulation Department on blood taken into BD Vacutainer EDTA or citrate anticoagulated samples:

• FBC
• Nucleated RBC
• Peripheral Blood Smear Morphology
• Reticulocyte
• ESR
• Glandular Fever
• Sickle Cell Screening
• PT
• APTT
• Clauss Fibrinogen
• D-Dimer
• INR
• Heparin Ratio

The Biochemistry section of the Blood Sciences department provides numerous biochemical tests for various biological samples including blood, urine, faeces and cerebral spinal fluid. Common biochemical tests include:

• Urea and Electrolytes
• Liver Function Tests
• Troponin T
• Lipid Profile
• Tumour Markers
• Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
• Endocrine Investigations

Instructions for transportation of samples

Samples should be sent to the laboratory with minimum delay. Delays in sample delivery to the laboratory can compromise the accuracy of many results. Where blood serum is required for routine analysis, centrifugation should occur within 6 hours. Samples more than 6 hours old look normal but may already begin to show increasing potassium and falling glucose concentrations.

If the container is undated, the reported results may be grossly misleading. Always put the time and date the sample was taken on the request form.

Specimen labelling

The sample must be clearly labelled with a minimum of the patient’s surname, forename and one of the following three items; hospital number, NHS number and date of birth.

These details should exactly match the information supplied on the request form.

This is to allow the unequivocal identification of the patient. If this minimum requirement is not met this may lead to sample rejection.

The sample should also be labelled with the location and the date/time the sample was taken.

For medico-legal and safety reasons unlabelled or mislabelled specimens must always be repeated where possible.

The Blood Sciences Department operates a 24-hour, 7 days a week service for urgent requests.

The opening hours for routine work are:

Monday to Friday
09:00 – 17:30

Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays
09:00 - 13:00

Chemistry - Consultant Clinical Scientists

Julia Forsyth
Telephone: 01246 512212 or 01332 789383
Email: Julia.Forsyth1@nhs.net

Dr John Monaghan
Telephone: 01246 512212 or 01332 789383
Email: john.monaghan@nhs.net  

Haematology - Consultant Haematologists

• Dr Emma Welch
• Dr  Jennifer Tam
• Dr  Katherine Lam
• Dr Rowena Faulkner
• Dr Richard Went
• Dr Mai Khalifa

Blood Bank Manager
Helen Wilkinson
Telephone: 01246 513235
Email: helen.wilkinson16@nhs.net

Patient Blood Management Lead
Janice Smith
Telephone: 01246 512232
Email: janicesmith5@nhs.net

Biochemistry

24-hour clinical advice is provided by the Clinical Scientists who can be accessed as follows:

For clinical advice/enquiries between:

Monday to Friday: 09:00-17:00

• Biochemistry direct contact number – 01246 512212 or 01332 789383

Outside these hours, including weekends the Clinical Scientist can be reached via the main Hospital switchboard on – 01246 277271.

Haematology

If Consultant Haematologist advice is required, please consider if the enquiry is urgent or non-urgent:

For non-urgent advice. On weekdays 09:00-17:00 please wait until after 14:00 then contact the hospital switchboard on 01246 277271 and ask for the on-call Haematology consultant. GPs can also use the Consultant Connect service. 

Alternatively, non-urgent patient-related queries can be sent to the following email address: cabadviceandguidance@nhs.net

Urgent Advice

On weekdays 09:00-17:00 contact the main hospital switchboard on 01246 277271 and ask for the on-call Haematology consultant. GPs can also use the Consultant Connect service. 

Contact out of hours is via the hospital switchboard and ask the on-call Haematology consultant.