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Please note - the following information below is intended for Health Professionals only.
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.
All laboratory departments are accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) in accordance with the recognised International Standard ISO 15189:2012 Medical Laboratories-Requirements for quality and competence.The departments are also approved for training (at all levels) by the Institute of Biomedical Science. Histopathology are an approved paediatric training site for Specialist Registrars.
All laboratory departments are accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) in accordance with the recognised International Standard ISO 15189:2012 Medical Laboratories-Requirements for quality and competence.
A copy of our UKAS schedule of accreditation can be found here. A copy of the laboratory quality policy can be found here. Authorised by Dr Darren Powell, Clinical Director for Pathology. Review date Dec 2023, Version 4.5
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.
Clinical advice is available at all times. Contact details can be found via the drop down sections further down the page.
All members of staff can be also be contacted by email using firstname.surname@alderhey.nhs.uk
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. Please note that phlebotomy is carried out in the Outpatients department, not at the laboratory.
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).
The laboratory provides a 24/7 service as follows;
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 – 17:30 – 09:00hrs):
The microbiology laboratory service is provided 24/7 via a combination of onsite and on call. The laboratory is staffed between the hours of 09.00 and 23.00 outside of these hours an on call service is in operation via switchboard.
The histology laboratory operates a 9am-5.30pm service and the mortuary 8.30am to 5.00pm
Consultant advice is available via switchboard.
Please refer to the relevant dropdown sections for specimen requirements for each test.
Our Biochemistry lab handbook has a complete set of information for professionals including opening hours, key contacts and services required.
Our Haematology lab handbook has a complete set of information for professionals including opening hours, key contacts and services required.
Our Microbiology lab handbook has a complete set of information for professionals, including opening hours, key contacts and services required.
Our Newborn screening lab handbook has a complete set of information for professionals including opening hours, key contacts and services required.
Our Histopathology lab handbook has a complete set of information for professionals including opening hours, key contacts and services required.
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 instruements.
Please see the POCT page for futher details.
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.
Model Health and Safety rules are available for laboratory staff, visitors, cleaning staff, office staff, phlebotomists, service engineers and laboratory porters and messengers to ensure the Health and Safety of all personnel working within the laboratory or dealing with laboratory samples.
In the event of a sample-related Health and Safety issue occurring outside the hospital e.g. spillage of sample, please contact the relevant department immediately for further information. Non NHS staff must not attempt to remove or clear up sample spillages.
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.
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.
Please also enclose a completed request form including:
Alder Hey Children's Charity
