Biochemistry at the North Devon District Hospital
This department is both extensively automated and computerised. The benefits are reliable assays, large throughput and fast return of results.
The majority of results are returned within one working day. Exceptions include some hormone assays which are batched before testing and those specialized requests sent to accredited regional laboratories. Should you be worried by a delay please ring EXT 2345.
The laboratory provides a wide range of assays locally but refers, to specialist accredited departments, those rare or expensive tests which are best dealt with in tertiary centres.
Good communication is the key to success and this means we need to know by telephone when special or urgent requests are likely to be asked for.
Please try to make a point of coming to the laboratory at some time to meet the staff.
Location
Within the main Pathology Department on level one.
Hours
Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:30, Saturday 09:00 to 12:30 .
Outside of these hours, only a limited number of staff are rostered to perform a restricted range of critical tests. Pressure to perform routine testing at these times jeopardises the critical care service.
Name | Qualifications | Title | Telephone |
Mary Stapleton | BA (Mod) MSc FRCPath | Principal Clinical Biochemist | 2419 |
Sarah Hayes | FIBMS | Blood Sciences Manager | 2329 |
Louise Messinger | BSc MSc | Senior Biomedical Scientist | 2345 |
Mowenna Sampson | BA BSc PGCE | Senior Biomedical Scientist | 2345 |
The department is staffed by State Registered Biomedical Scientists (BMSs) and Medical Laboratory Assistants with clinical input from the Principal Clinical Biochemist and the Consultant Clinical Biochemist.
General information
Main laboratory phone | 2345 prefix by 32 if dialling outside NDDH. | |
On-Call: via the main hospital switchboard. | ||
Bleep 031 is carried by the on-call staff at night/weekends. | ||
Please call the laboratory for general information. For more specific information or clinical enquiries please phone senior staff as detailed above. Out of hours advice & clinical interpretation, initially contact the on-call staff for information. |
The department is totally dependant on the requesting practitioner for accurate information on the request form, without this, results may go astray.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SPECIMEN ACCEPTANCE POLICY WHICH, IF NOT ADHERED, TO MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF THE SPECIMENS.
Please give as much information as you can (reference number – particularly the NHS Number, full name, date of birth, address etc) so that patients can be positively identified.
Abnormal Results – Telephone Trigger Limits
When patient samples have been tested and the results are abnormal or indicate a clinical decision is required for patient management the department uses the following reference document to determine when results should be telephoned back to the requesting practitioner or requesting location. Abnormal results – telephone trigger limits
Biochemistry Referral Laboratories: Accreditation Status – October 2018
Referral laboratory accreditation status is checked annually as part of the scheduled audit programme.
Institution Name | Address | UKAS Ref No. ISO15189 | UKAS Accreditation Status |
Birmingham(City & Sandwell Labs), Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust | Dept of Clinical Biochem, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham, B18 7QH | 8407 | Accredited |
Charing Cross, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | Dept of Clinical Chemistry, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF | 8673 | Accredited |
Derriford, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust | Combined Laboratory, Derriford Hospital, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH | 9088 | Accredited |
Exeter, Chemical Pathology, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Chem. Pathology, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5DW | 8210 | Accredited |
Exeter, Immunology, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Haematology/Immunology/ Transfusion, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5DW | 8210 | Accredited |
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
| Dept of Chemical Pathology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH | 8692 | Accredited |
St Thomas Hospitals, Viapath Analytics LLP | Dept of Biochemical Sciences St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH | 9093 | Accredited |
Harefield, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Haematology Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP | 8826 | Accredited |
Kings College Hospital, Viapath Analytics LLP | Dept of Clinical Biochem, Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS | 9067 | Accredited |
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust | Sheffield Diagnostic Genetics Service, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TH | 10139 | Accredited |
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Protein Reference & Immunology, North General Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield, S. Yorks. S5 7AU | 8494 | Accredited |
Southmead Bristol, Clin Chem, North Bristol NHS Trust | Dept of Clinical Biochem, Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NB | 8071 | Accredited |
Southmead Bristol, Genetics, North Bristol NHS Trust | Bristol Genetics Lab. Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NB | 9307 | Accredited |
Birmingham(Queen Elizabeth Hospital), University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Clinical Biochemistry, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsolm Way, Egbaston, West Midlands B15 2WB | 8910 | Accredited |
Bristol Royal Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol, NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Clinical Chemistry, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Marlborough Street Bristol, BS2 8HW | 8061 | Accredited |
Cardiff University Hospital, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board | Dept of Medical Biochem & Immunology, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XW | 8989 | Accredited |
Exeter, Molecular Genetics, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Molecular Genetics, RILD Building, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5DW | 8092 | Accredited |
Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Haematology Freeman Hospital Freeman Road Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne & Wear NE7 7DN | 8543 | Accredited |
Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Clinical Biochemistry Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 4LP | 8543 | Accredited |
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Immunology Churchill Hospital Oxford Road, Oxford, OX3 7LE | 8782 | Accredited |
Southampton, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust | Dept of Clinical Biochemistry Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 6YD | 8483 | Accredited |
Truro, Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust | Dept of Clinical Chemistry, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Penventinie Lane, Truro, Cornwall. TR1 3LJ | 8869 | Accredited |