Communication of results

Reports

Reports are available when all necessary tests have been completed, reviewed and authorised by a Consultant Pathologist. Verbal reports or clinical discussions can only be provided to qualified medical staff by Consultant Pathologists.

All report enquiries should be directed to the secretarial office in the first instance. The clerical and scientific staff in the laboratory cannot give out any information regarding results/reports.

Authorised Reports requested on HIVE are available HIVE EPR.

External reports are sent securely electronically.

Histology reports

Email: paed.hist@mft.nhs.uk

Users are requested to check if final reports are available in hospital notes, clinics or wards before making enquiries. Please note that clerical staff will not give report details over the telephone, but on request, authorised reports can be faxed to dedicated hospital fax numbers and General Practitioners.

Turnaround times

• Urgent frozen section specimen arrival: Report within 20 minutes of biopsy specimen arrival in the laboratory
• Tumour specimens: Initial verbal report within 1 -10 days depending whether biopsy or resection
• Renal transplant biopsies: Initial verbal demonstration and discussion within 24 hours
• Rectal biopsies: Initial verbal report within 24hrs
• Non-urgent/routine specimens: Departmental rules: 70% of cases within 14 days, however, clinicians are encouraged to contact the pathologists to discuss complex cases. Specimens containing bone or teeth may take longer to report. RCPath Key Performance Indicators (KPI) target is to report 80% of all specimens within 10 days (except those requiring decalcification)

N.B. If the specimen arrives on a Friday the laboratory needs to be notified if an urgent report is required to ensure a member of staff is available at the weekend to process the biopsy.

Clinical advice

The pathologists and technical staff are available by phone, e-mail or in person in the laboratory to give clinical or technical advice such as sampling requirements for specific samples. In addition there are regular clinical meetings.

Advice may be sought in the department during normal laboratory hours (08:30 – 17:30).

Clinicopathological meetings

(Last reviewed August 2024)