In this section
The laboratory provides a 24-hour service. Routine throughput can vary throughout the day depending on demand.
| Routine hours: | 09:00 – 17:30 Monday-Friday |
| Non Routine hours: | 17:30 – 09:00 Monday – Friday All day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays |
Outside routine hours
Only a limited number of staff are available to perform a restricted range of critical tests. Other tests may be performed but require prior discussion with the laboratory by bleeping the on-call BMS on 2023, who may refer the request to the on-call Biochemist. For advice on result interpretation out of hours, ask the switchboard to contact the on-call Biochemist on the air-call bleep.
The following tests are available at all times without prior arrangement:
General biochemistry
| U & E (Sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, eGFR) | Lipase |
| LFT (Total protein, albumin, ALT, ALP, globulin & bilirubin), AST, conjugated bilirubin, GGT |
Uric Acid |
| Bone profile (Total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium, phosphate) | Chloride |
| Arterial Blood gas (also available as point of care testing in the hospital) |
Venous Bicarbonate |
| CRP | Lipids (Cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, LDL) |
| Troponin T & cardiac enzymes (CK, LDH, AST) | |
| Glucose | Ethanol |
| Lactate | Vitamin B12 & folate |
| Ammonia | Iron studies (Fe, ferritin, transferrin) |
| Magnesium | |
| Bilirubin |
| Endocrinology & Tumour markers | Drug monitoring | CSF/Fluid analysis |
| Thyroid function tests (TSH & fT4) | Paracetamol & Salicylate | Protein |
| Gonadotrophins (LH/FSH) | Antiepileptic drugs – carbamazepine & phenytoin, valproate | Glucose |
| Oestradiol | Theophylline | Lactate |
| hCG | Antibiotics – gentamicin, vancomycin, tobramycin & amikacin | |
| AFP | Digoxin | |
| PSA | ||
| Progesterone | ||
| Prolactin |
Urgent Requests
Urgent requests need to be marked clearly on the request form. For A&E and samples marked urgent, the above tests that are available at all times will be available within 1 hour of receipt in sample reception 90% of the time. Please call the laboratory for results of urgent endocrinology tests or tumour markers out of routine hours as these require extra interpretation and may take longer to appear on EPR.
(Last reviewed June 2021)