All routine specimens are taken daily by directorate phlebotomists with support from other directorate staff.
Specimens are collected from the wards by the laboratory porters at
hourly intervals as per published timetable (Monday to Friday).
On Saturdays, Sundays and on Bank Holidays specimens are collected at 08:00, 09:30, 10:30 13:00 and 14:30 hrs.
Theatre specimens are collected as follows:
| Monday - Friday | | Sat, Sun & Bank Hols | |
| 8.30am | All Samples | 8.00am | No Histology | |
| 9.45am | No Histology | 9.30am | No Histology | |
| 11.00am | No Histology | 10.30am | No Histology | |
| 12.00pm | No Histology | 1.00pm | No Histology | |
| 1.00pm | No Histology | 2.30pm | No Histology | |
| 2.00pm | No Histology | |
| 3.00pm | All Samples | |
| 4.00pm | No Histology | |
All emergency/urgent specimens must be sent via the pneumatic tube system or the emergency
blood porter to the appropriate laboratory. Request forms must be clearly marked as URGENT or
for Clinical Chemistry requests as EMERGENCY. Abuse of the terms URGENT and EMERGENCY can lead
to delays in real emergencies. N.B. Blood gas samples MUST be sent via the porter, not the tube.
The tube system is NOT for routine use.
It should be used for URGENT/EMERGENCY specimens only.
ALL specimens MUST be sent in the pods provided.
In-patients, BGH - ext 6708/6209:
All routine specimens are taken daily by directorate phlebotomists with support form other directorate staff.
Samples for transportation to the laboratory are collected by the hospital porter at 2 hourly intervals.
Routine specimens taken by medical staff should be left for collection at the designated collection point.
Urgent/emergency specimens taken by medical staff should be sent to the laboratory via the pneumatic tube system or the
emergency porter, contact bleep 2010.
Request forms must be clearly marked as URGENT or
for Clinical Chemistry requests as EMERGENCY. Abuse of the terms URGENT and EMERGENCY can lead
to delays in real emergencies.
Hospital out-patients, RLUH ext 2546, BGH ext 6708:
| RLH | The Out-patient service operates between | 08.30 to 17.15 (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)
07.00 to 17.15 (Monday and Wednesday)
|
| BGH | The Out-patient service operates between | 08.30 – 1700 (Monday – Thursday)
08.30 – 16.30 (Friday)
|
Women's Hospital:
Specimens are collected by hospital porters from the wards at 08.50 09.50, 11.30, 12.40, 14.00, 15.30 and 16.30 hrs.
There is an on site Haematology \ Transfusion service Laboratory (08:30 - 21:00 Monday to Friday, Saturday 08:30 - 12:30).
Specimens for other laboratories are transported to Specimen Reception in CSSB RLUH via a courier service. Out of
hours specimens are transported to the RLUH using designated LWH drivers.
Community phlebotomy services:
See under GP information.
LHCH\BGH intructions for packaging specimens for taxi transportation:
To view instructions, click here.