Notice Board – Latest in Pathology: 14/02/2019 –Increase in Immunoglobulins and Parasite (Concentrate) Test Turnaround Times Click HERE |
For a list of Pathology tests that are currently not accredited – click here.
Key Pathology Information – Quick Access Table
Specimen Collection Information Blood Sample Collection Guide (PDF)
| Time limits for Requesting Additional Tests
Cellular Pathology – Specimens are retained for up to 4 weeks, blocks & slides are retained for 30 years |
Vacutainer Guide (PDF) Click here
| Specimen Storage Guidance (PDF) Click here
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Biochemistry Tests – A to Z Click here
| Turnaround Times (TAT) Click here
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Haematology Tests – A to Z Click here
| Pathology Computer System Click here
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Blood Transfusion Investigations Click here
| Contacting the Laboratory Click here
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Microbiology Specimens Click here
| Testing Times Newsletters (PDF)Click here
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Cellular Pathology Specimens Including: | Quality of Service Click here
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North Devon Pathology Service is part of the Northern Devon Healthcare Trust and based at the North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple.
The pages within this Pathology website are designed for health professionals who use our service. It is not intended to provide information for the general public.
What does a Laboratory Pathology Service Do?
We provide the ‘engine room’ of modern medicine with 80% of diagnoses based on the Pathology results provided by laboratory services. With an estimated 150 million samples being analysed by Pathology staff in the UK, every person at some point in their lives will have benefited from Pathology Services.
The Pathology Service is at the heart of the medical team providing other professionals with vital scientific information that allows them to do their job properly. When a major incident occurs it is Pathology staff that ensure the right amount of blood reaches the right patient at the right time. We measure vital blood chemicals to monitor patient conditions and detect signs of internal bleeding. Accident and emergency wards would shut down, organ transplants could not take place and premature babies would struggle to survive without our support. Whenever you have a sample taken from you by a doctor or nurse, it is usually analysed by a biomedical scientist in a Pathology laboratory. Quite simply, without our help and support doctors would frequently be unable to diagnose diseases properly or treat their patients effectively.
NOTE: If printed, information on this page is only valid on day of printing.