With each test we provide the following information where appropriate:
- Name of test and clinical condition
- Measurement units
- Biological reference units
- Clinical decision points
- Type and volume of sample
- Collection container
- Specimen transport
- Turnaround time
- Factors known to significantly affect the results
- Examinations sent to referral clearly identified
Almost all the examinations that we use are NICE accredited UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations (SMI) hosted by by United Kingdom Health Security Agency; see UK Standards For Microbiology Investigations.
A
- Abscesses and Deep-Seated Wound Infections Bacteriology
- Acanthamoeba Bacteriology
- Acute haemorrhagic cystitis Molecular Microbiology
- Adenovirus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Adenovirus (Respiratory Infection) Molecular Microbiology
- Adenovirus 40/41 (Enteric) PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Antenatal Serology
- Antibiotic Susceptibility Test Bacteriology
- Anti-HCV antibody screen and confirmation Virology
- Anti-Hepatitis Bs antibody Virology
- Anti-HIV 1 and 2 antibody and p24 antigen screen Virology
- ASO
- Aspergillus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Astrovirus PCR – enteric Molecular Microbiology
- Avian influenza Molecular Microbiology
B
- Bacteraemia
- Bartonella (Virology referral)
- Bilharzia Bacteriology
- Biopsies Bacteriology
- BK virus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Blastomyces (Virology referral)
- Blepharitis
- Blood Cultures Bacteriology
- Bloodstream Infection
- Bocavirus PCR (Molecular Microbiology referral)
- Bordetella pertussis Bacteriology
- Bordetella pertussis PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Brucella (Virology referral)
- Burns
C
- Campylobacter serology (Virology referral)
- Candida PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Candida precipitins (Virology referral)
- Candidosis
- CAPD Bacteriology
- Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) Screen Bacteriology
- Cellulitis
- Cerebrospinal fluid
- Chickenpox
- Chlamydia and Gonococcal PCR (Aptima) Molecular Microbiology
- Chlamydia NAATS confirmation Virology
- Chlamydia/Gonococcal Virology
- Clostridium difficile GDH and Toxin Bacteriology
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus) IgG Virology
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus) IgM Virology
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus) IgG avidity Virology
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus) viral load Molecular Microbiology
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus) genotypic antiviral resistance
- Coccidioides (Virology referral)
- Conjunctivitis Bacteriology
- Contact lens Bacteriology
- Corneal Scrape Bacteriology
- Corneal Scrape Virology
- Coronavirus COVID-19 Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Microbiology
- Coxiella burnetii – see Q fever
- Cryptococcus antigen Virology
- Cryptosporidium Bacteriology
- CSF – Microscopy/culture Bacteriology
- Culture Bacteriology
- Culture: Wounds – Skin, Superficial, Non-surgical Bacteriology
- Cystic Fibrosis Bacteriology
D
- Diphtheria IgG antibody determination Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Dried Blood Spot Hepatitis B core antibody Virology
- Dried Blood Spot Hepatitis B surface antigen Virology
- Dried Blood Spot Hepatitis C antibody Virology
- Dried Blood Spot Hepatitis C RNA Screening Virology
- Dried Blood Spot Hepatitis C Genotyping Virology
- Dried Blood Spot HIV Ag/Ab Virology
- Dried Blood Spot Syphilis antibody Virology
- Dysuria
E
- Ear Bacteriology
- Ebola
- EBV (Epstein Barr virus) viral load Molecular Microbiology
- EBV VCA IgG – screening Virology
- EBV VCA IgM – screening Virology
- EBV (EBNA) Virology
- Ecthyma gangrenosum
- Ehrlichia IF (Virology referral)
- Entamoeba Bacteriology
- Enteric Virus Panel Molecular Microbiology
- Enterovirus and parechovirus Molecular Microbiology
- Eye Bacteriology
- Eye Virology ie Molecular
F
- Faeces – Clostridium difficile Bacteriology
- Faeces – culture/microscopy Bacteriology
- Faeces culture – Clostridium difficile screen Bacteriology
- Fluids Bacteriology
- Folliculitis
G
- Galactomannan (Aspergillus antigen) (Virology referral)
- Gastric Biopsy for H.pylori Bacteriology
- Genital specimens Bacteriology
- Giardia lamblia Bacteriology
- Glucan (referral)
- Gonococcal NAATS confirmation Virology
H
- Haematuria
- Haemophilus influenzae type b antibody Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Helicobacter pylori stool antigen Bacteriology
- Helicobacter pylori in Gastric Biopsies Bacteriology
- Hepatitis A total antibody (IgG and IgM) Virology
- Hepatitis A IgM Virology
- Hepatitis B confirmation Virology
- Hepatitis B core antibodies Virology
- Hepatitis B core IgM Virology
- Hepatitis B core antibody – Dried Blood Spot Virology
- Hepatitis B e antigen Virology
- Hepatitis B e antibody Virology
- Hepatitis B surface antibody Virology
- Hepatitis B surface antigen Virology
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) Virology
- Hepatitis B surface antigen – Dried Blood Spot Virology
- Hepatitis B viral load Molecular Microbiology
- Hepatitis B virus Resistance Markers Molecular Microbiology
- Hepatitis C confirmation Virology
- Hepatitis C screen Virology
- Hepatitis C viral load Molecular Microbiology
- Hepatitis C virus Genotyping Molecular Microbiology
- Hepatitis C Dried Blood Spot Virology
- Hepatitis D (delta) antibody Virology
- Hepatitis E IgG (Virology referral)
- Hepatitis E IgM Virology
- Herpes simplex 1/2 antibody (type specific, IgM and total antibody) Virology
- Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Histoplasma (Virology referral)
- HIV confirmation Virology
- HIV Integrase Resistance Virology
- HIV P24 antigen and neutralization Virology
- HIV Resistance Molecular Microbiology
- HIV screen Virology
- HIV screen 4th generation: HIV1 and 2 antibody and p24 antigen Virology
- HIV screen – same day Virology
- HIV Tropism prediction Molecular Microbiology
- HIV-1 Viral load Molecular Microbiology
- HIV-2 viral load (Virology referral)
- Dried Blood Spot HIV Ag/Ab Virology
- HIV Resistance Markers Molecular Microbiology
- HSV 1/2 antibody (type specific, IgM and total antibody) Virology
- HSV types 1 and 2 PCR Molecular Microbiology
- HTLV 1 and 2 antibody Virology
- Human Herpes virus 6 & 7 Molecular Microbiology
- Human Papilloma virus PCR Molecular Microbiology
I
- Impetigo
- Infective endocarditis
- Influenza A
- Influenza B
- Tips Intravascular cannulae Bacteriology
- Invasive infection with Aspergillus Molecular Microbiology
- Invasive infection with Candida Molecular Microbiology
J
- JC virus Molecular Microbiology
- Joint Fluids Bacteriology
L
- Legionella urinary antigen detection Virology
- Leptospira (Virology referral)
- Lyme Disease Virology
- Lyme IgG Virology
- Lyme IgM Virology
M
- Measles IgG Virology
- Measles IgM Virology
- Measles virus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Meningitis
- Meningococcal DNA detection by PCR (multiplex with Pneumococcal DNA PCR) Molecular Microbiology
- Neisseria meningitidis functional antibody Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- MERS Molecular Microbiology
- Metapneumovirus Molecular Microbiology
- Molecular subtyping of isolates Meningococcal Reference Unit
- Mouth swab Bacteriology
- MRSA Bacteriology
- Mumps IgG Virology
- Mumps IgM Virology
- Mycobacteria – Culture, Sensitivity and PCR Bacteriology
- Mycobacterium PCR Bacteriology
- Mycoplasma PCR Molecular Microbiology
N
- Neisseria meningitidis: Functional antibody to serogroups A, C, W and Y by internationally standardised serum bactericidal antibody assays Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Functional antibody to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B by Serum Bactericidal Antibody Assay (SBA) Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Neisseria meningitidis isolate characterisation Meningococcal Reference Unit
- Neisseria meningitidis: Serogrouping and outer membrane typing Meningococcal Reference Unit
- Neisseria meningitidis: Minimum inhibitory concentration Meningococcal Reference Unit
- Neisseria meningitidis serology Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Neonatal sepsis
- Norovirus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Nose Swab Bacteriology
O
- Otitis externa
- Otitis media
- Ova, Cysts and Parasites Bacteriology
P
- Paronychia
- Parotitis
- Parvovirus B19 IgG Virology
- Parvovirus B19 IgM Virology
- Parvovirus B19 viral load Molecular Microbiology
- Peritoneal fluids culture and microscopy Bacteriology
- Pernasal swab (for pertussis) Bacteriology
- Pharyngitis
- Pneumococcal PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Pneumococcal serotype-specific IgG Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Pneumococcal urinary antigen detection Virology
- Pneumocystis jirovecii PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Polyoma viruses (BK) Molecular Microbiology
- Polyoma viruses (JC) Molecular Microbiology
- Polysaccharide antigen detection Meningococcal Reference Unit
- Posaconazole Level (referral)
- Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy
- Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE)
- Pus Bacteriology
- Pyuria
Q
- Q Fever Serology and PCR (Referral)
R
- Respiratory specimens Bacteriology
- Respiratory Screen Molecular Microbiology
- Respiratory virus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Rhinovirus
- Rotavirus PCR – enteric Molecular Microbiology
- RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
- Rubella IgG Virology
- Rubella IgM Virology
- Rubella Avidity (Virology referral)
S
- Sapovirus PCR – enteric Molecular Microbiology
- Schistosoma haematobium Bacteriology
- Sepsis
- Sialadenitis
- Skin, Superficial, Non-surgical Wounds Bacteriology
- Sputum Bacteriology
- Staphylococcal serology – AST (Virology referral)
- Stem Cell Sterility Check Bacteriology
- Sterile Fluids Bacteriology
- Streptococcal serology – Antistreptolysin O (ASO) Virology
- Streptococcus pneumoniae serology Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Syphilis antibody
- Syphilis (Treponema pallidum) screen Virology
- Syphilis confirmation including immunoblot
- Syphilis IgM Virology
- Syphilis PCR Molecular Microbiology
T
- TB examination (microscopy and culture) Bacteriology
- Tetanus antibodies Vaccine Evaluation Unit
- Throat Swab Bacteriology
- Tips Bacteriology
- Tissue and biopsies Bacteriology
- Toxoplasma PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Toxoplasma serology (IgG) Virology
- Toxoplasma IgM Virology
- Toxoplasma serology (Avidity) Virology
- Treponema pallidum (syphilis) PCR Molecular Microbiology
- Treponema pallidum confirmation Virology
- Treponema pallidum screen Virology
- Trichomonas vaginalisVirology
U
- Ulcers
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Urine – cell count Bacteriology
- Urine Culture Bacteriology
V
- Varicella Zoster IgG Virology
- Varicella Zoster IgM Virology
- Varicella Zoster virus PCR Molecular Microbiology
- VRE screening Bacteriology
- Vincent’s angina
- Viral Haemorragic Fever (VHF)
W
- Whooping Cough
- Wounds – Skin, Superficial, Non-surgical Bacteriology