Download Pathology User Guide

Pathology User Guide
Bedford Hospital Trust
Page 9 of 85
This DECT phone is not for use outside of the A&E department.
Between 17.00 and 20.00 haematology/blood transfusion may be contacted on extensions
4833/4653.
Microbiology
Contact via switchboard
The on-call microbiology BMS is usually off-site and should always be contacted before
urgent work is sent.
Work sent after midnight without bleeping the relevant personnel will be processed with the
next urgent/batch of work.
ALL results produced out of hours will be telephoned and/or hard copy sent in the air tube to
the requesting location and/or will be available on the ward reporting system available on all
Trust computers connected to the Intranet.
Please LOOK on the ICE system before telephoning for results. CSF and antibiotic levels
will be telephoned through to the requesting ward. These results will not be available on the
ICE system until the next working day.
Consultant staff may be contacted via switchboard if clinical advice is required.
Requesting investigations
Request forms should be completed using ballpoint pen. All forms must be fully completed
including patient‟s first name and surname, date of birth, hospital number, NHS number or
address, sex, location for return of report (e.g. ward, GP surgery), risk status, consultant,
name and bleep number of requesting doctor, date and time of specimen.
Request forms for specimen labelling
If a pre-printed label is used, please ensure that a label is placed also on all back copies of
the request form.
It is essential that specimens are correctly identified otherwise:
a patient may receive the wrong treatment
a patient may not receive the treatment that they require
If request forms are being handwritten please ensure that they are legible.
A correctly completed request form must state:
the patient's name
date of birth
hospital number or NHS number (if known)
nature of the specimen
date and time the sample was collected
Version 1.0
Issued August 2011.
Review August 2012