High Risk Samples

In accordance with the Health & Safety at Work Act and the COSHH Regulations, the laboratories must be informed of any infection risk associated with submitted samples. Examples of such risks include, but are not limited to, HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and COVID-19.

Please refer to our contact details and telephone the appropriate laboratory before sending a sample with an infection risk.

For all such samples:

• The specimen must be appropriately packaged to ensure safe transportation.
• The specimen container must be clearly labelled on the outside with some form of “danger of infection” label.
• The accompanying paperwork must also be appropriately labelled.
• The referral card must contain sufficient information concerning the nature of the infection risk to ensure safe handling of the sample.
• Information provided must be consistent with maintaining patient confidentiality and must not be accessible to anyone transporting the sample.