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Electronic ordering

Each Trust has its own local written procedures for making pathology requests on Cerner. Please refer to these documents to ensure requests are completed correctly.

Some tests may not appear on the order comms system. Please use a request form for these.

Patient details

If the request is made correctly, all of the required information will be provided and the sample labels will contain sufficient information to:

Identify the patient fully – this will include:

  • the patient’s NHS or Medical Record Number (MRN)
  • the patient’s family and given names
  • the patient’s family and given names.

List the requested tests.

List the type of container required.

Show where the patient is located.

A sample must be collected for every label that has been printed.

Labels

Once the sample has been collected, it should be labelled using the appropriate printed label.

More than one sample

If you are collecting more than one type of sample or blood tube, it is important to ensure the labels are attached to the correct container.

Check information is complete

It is the responsibility of the person making the request that the OCS label(s) are printed correctly and show ALL of the required information.

If the label is misaligned and any patient identification data is incomplete or missing, making it impossible to positively identify the patient from the information provided, the sample will not be accepted or analysed.

Add time and date

The only information which needs to be added by the person collecting the sample is the time collected and their initials.

Initial the specimen

Initialing the specimen identifies the person responsible for labelling them and must take place as soon as the specimen has been collected.

Record the time of collection

Recording the time of collection is very important as the order in which results are displayed in Powerchart is determined by the time of collection, particularly when several samples have been collected for the same investigation on the same day.

Label printers

The label printers must be well maintained to ensure they print labels which are legible and correctly aligned. It is the responsibility of staff in each area to ensure the printers are working correctly.

Labelling paediatric blood tubes

Where the label is too large to be attached to the blood tube, the details of the patient can be written by hand on the tube and the label sent with the tube in the same plastic bag

Exceptions

Patients whose identity must remain highly confidential will be excluded from this way of requesting. Requests for these patients must be made using paper request forms.

On the rare occasions that OCS is not available, requests should be made using the paper request forms as supplied by SWLP.

For requests made as part of the Antenatal Screening Programme, if the individual’s NHS OR MRN number is not known their address must be used as the third identifier. In these cases, the first line of the address must also appear on the specimen container.

Latest news

March 12, 2024

Beta D Glucan (BDG) testing brought in-house

At the end of last year, testing for Beta-D-Glucan (BDG) was brought in-house. The median turnaround time using the new in-house assay is around two days, which facilitates a greater impact on antifungal stewardship when the result is negative.

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February 28, 2024

New Abbott Alinity system installed at Epsom Hospital

At the end of last year, a new Abbott Alinity GLP automation system was installed in the laboratory at Epsom Hospital, replacing the existing aging equipment.

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February 7, 2024

Pathology Service Update: Results for renin, aldosterone, androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, DHEAS and testosterone confirmation now going out at usual

The delay in reporting results for renin, aldosterone, androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, DHEAS and testosterone confirmation reported in January has been resolved and results are now going out as usual.

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January 29, 2024

Salmonella detection to be by PCR only from 1 February 2024

From 1 February 2024, Salmonella detection in faeces will be by PCR only and culture will no longer be routinely performed.

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