Laboratory medicine

Introduction

Our laboratories aim to provide a high quality, up to date, reliable and comprehensive paediatric service, including a consultant advisory service for both children in the hospital and those cared for by General Practitioners. We also provide advice and support regarding paediatric pathology to other hospital laboratories in the region.

If you are a patient, or the carer of a child and wish to inquire about laboratory tests or result, please contact the hospital department in charge of your care.

Our laboratories aim to provide a high quality, up to date, reliable and comprehensive paediatric service, including a consultant advisory service for both children in the hospital and those cared for by General Practitioners. We also provide advice and support regarding paediatric pathology to other hospital laboratories in the region.

The laboratory will support clinicians in requesting appropriate investigations and providing appropriate interpretation of results to ensure the highest quality of care and best use of resources.

The Laboratory Medicine (Pathology) Department is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No 9091.

The departments are approved for training by the Institute of Biomedical Science. We are continually developing and improving the service for the investigation and diagnosis of disease, and are committed to the improvement in quality of service through audit.

A copy of our UKAS schedule of accreditation can be found on the UKAS website. 

You can view our Quality Policy online. Authorised by Dr Darren Powell, Clinical Director for Pathology, in February 2024.

Laboratory Medicine Quality Policy (479kB pdf)

We are continually developing and improving the service for the investigation and diagnosis of disease, and are committed to the improvement in quality of service through audit. The laboratories are fully computerised using the Trust wide Meditech System.

How to find us

The laboratory departments are situated on the first floor of the Clinical Support building (opposite the Institute in the Park). External visitors to the laboratory should exit the atrium via the rotating doors adjacent to WHSmith. There is an intercom button that connects to specimen reception next to the double doors to the right.

The full address for the department for corresponadence or for sending specimens is:

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP

(Use L14 5AB on sat-navs for main East Prescot Road car park).

Opening Hours

The laboratory provides a 24/7 service as follows;

Haematology/Blood Transfusion and Biochemistry

The haematology, blood transfusion and biochemistry laboratory service is provided on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Outside of normal working hours a restricted range of tests are available. Normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.30 pm (with the exception of public holidays). Outside normal working hours (All day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays, and all night duties 5.30pm and 9am).

Microbiology

The microbiology laboratory service is provided 24/7 via a combination of onsite and on call. The laboratory is staffed between the hours of 9am and 11pm outside of these hours an on-call service is in operation via switchboard. 

Histology

The histology laboratory operates a 9am to 5.30pm service and the mortuary 8.30am to 5.00pm.

Consultant advice

Consultant advice is available via switchboard (0151 228 4811)

Specimen requirements

Please refer to the relevant sections for specimen requirements for each test.

Our Services

Ordering Pathology tests

Information for ordering pathology investigations can be found in each of the discipline handbooks found on this site. Click the relevant button below for more.

Biochemistry

Haematology

Microbiology

Newborn screening

Histopathology and Mortuary

Point of Care Testing (POCT)

The Department of Laboratory Medicine hosts the POCT Team that supports all the near patient testing devices that are operated in the trust. Examples include the handheld glucose and ketone meters, and the blood gas instruments. For more information, please contact us.

Blood Transfusion

Our new Blood Transfusion Sharepoint site has a complete set of information for professionals including policies and SOPs, guidelines, training information, and contact details for the Transfusion Team.

View the Blood Transfusion SharePoint site (authenticated trust users only).

Transport of samples

Category A infectious substances

Please note that Category A infectious substances are assigned to UN 2814 regulations and must be packaged in accordance with UN Packaging Instructions PI620 (road/ rail) or PI602 (air). Further information is available via the Health and Safety Executive website.

Routine diagnostic specimens (Category B)

For all other routine diagnostic samples, specimen containers should be sealed, covered with absorbent material in sufficient quantity to absorb the contents of the container(s), and placed inside a plastic specimen bag which in turn is placed inside rigid, opaque packaging in line with UN3373 regulations.

When multiple sample containers are placed in single secondary packaging, they should either be individually wrapped in absorbent material or separated to prevent contact between them. Sample packages should be labelled with the above UN3373 symbol. The package should also be labelled with the words “Diagnostic Specimen” and the name and address of the referring laboratory.

Where specimens are transported frozen on dry ice, dry ice must be placed outside the plastic specimen bag and packages clearly identified with a dry ice identification symbol:

If samples are transported in wet ice, the ice must be placed outside the plastic specimen bag and the packaging must be leak-proof.

Complaints

The laboratory is committed to providing a high-quality service to everyone. Should any of our service not meet your expectations, please contact the Alder Hey Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Our PALS and complaints officer will liaise with our management team to assess and investigate your concern and ensure that relevant actions are undertaken to resolve it.

A response will be provided to you after investigations are complete.