Chemical Pathology

Comprising:

• Routine biochemistry
• Metabolic biochemistry
• Special enzymes laboratory
• Newborn screening

Main biochemistry

Urgent service

Within normal hours

GOSH: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

If you require a result more rapidly than is routinely available, request the urgent assay by telephone (x5009) and indicate the degree of urgency. For urgent electrolytes required for parenteral nutrition, samples must arrive before 9:30am.

Out of hours

To request an urgent analysis, contact the on-call biomedical scientist in the main laboratory, bleep 0589 when the sample has been sent.

Samples should be sent via the vacuum chute system to station 051. If the vacuum chute is out of service then portering staff are available to deliver samples to the laboratory. The laboratory cannot accept responsibility for delay or non-arrival of samples.

NB ammonia samples must be sent on ice immediately after collection.

Availability of tests

Analyses that are not usually available on call should be discussed with clinical staff contactable through GOS switchboard.

Cyclosporin and FK506 requests for Saturday mornings and bank holidays should be arranged with the duty chemical pathologist on Friday.