Our key aim in the Pathology Department is to ensure that our clinical laboratories deliver relevant services for the diagnosis and treatment of the patients we serve. We have an emphasis on continually increasing efficiency and working to develop new innovative services that can improve patient care. 

Pathology uses different areas of science to help study human disease. Our department offers a full range of services to our hospitals and also the GPs in our area.

Pathology is divided up into a number of specialist laboratories and our services include: 

Biochemistry
Haematology and Blood Transfusion
Histopathology
Immunology
Microbiology
Phlebotomy
POCT (Point of Care Testing)

Guidance covering the range of testing available and specific test requirements necessary for any given assay may be found by means of clicking on the pathology handbook.

Cellular Pathology User Handbook 

If you are unable to find the test you are looking for please contact the laboratory concerned for further advice.

Samples (including blood) can be delivered by hand directly to the following hospitals:

Amersham

The Phlebotomy reception area will be open between 8.30am - 4pm.
For security reasons samples cannot be left out of hours.
See also getting to Amersham.

Stoke Mandeville

The Pathology reception area will be open between 9am - 5pm.
A drop in hatch is available out of hours.
See also getting to Stoke Mandeville.

Wycombe

The Pathology reception area will be open between 9am - 6pm.
For security reasons samples cannot be left out of hours.
See also getting to Wycombe.

Contact details

Stoke Mandeville Hospital - 01296 315742
Amersham and Wycombe hospitals  - 01494 425234

For Clinicians

For urgent and non-urgent advice, please use the relevant contact details for each service area.

Completion of request forms

In hospital and primary care, tests are requested electronically: using ICE. Paper request forms may be used where electronic requesting is unavailable.

Clinical details must be provided on test request forms to allow interpretation of results, the addition of any further tests required and to enable the laboratory to decide on the most appropriate action to be taken with the results. Clinicians making referrals are responsible for providing these details. The person performing the blood test is not made responsible for this.

Sample identification

Three points of identification are required to enable the sample to be processed. The patient’s full name, date of birth and identification number are suitable but please be aware that many of our patients have similar names and if an identification number is not available please give a further identifier such as address. Due to the risks associated with inaccurate identification of a patient’s sample, laboratory staff are instructed not to take responsibility for processing samples that do not have this information and it is likely that the referrer will need to provide a further, appropriately labelled sample.

Specimen transport

All samples must be presented to the person undertaking transport in a safe and suitable manner that complies with necessary regulations. It is the responsibility of the sender that samples are collected and packaged safely.

Results

Electronic access to results is available to most of our regional GP practices and can be arranged if not. For specific results, please contact the relevant Pathology discipline/lab via the contacts provided in the below sections and user guides/handbooks.

Quality assurance and clinical governance

We aim to give the highest quality of service. Our laboratories participate in appropriate internal quality control and recognised external quality assurance schemes. We are working towards UKAS accreditation. We investigate any incidents and complaints thoroughly so that relevant actions are taken and our processes are improved.

Our laboratories adheres to Caldicott principles and confirms with the Data Protection Act.