Unless otherwise specified, sample type required is venous blood in EDTA anticoagulant.

Routine hospital turnaround times listed in each test refer to the average time taken from receipt in the laboratory to authorisation, while routine GP turnaround times refer to the average time between when they are collected by the transport and authorisation. They are not guaranteed maximum turnaround times, as delays in transport would lead to delays in analysis, and sequential tests may be required to provide appropriate results therefore potentially delaying reporting. A list of sequential tests is available in the Sequential Testing section.

"Working day" refers to Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00 (not including Bank Holidays).

For bone marrow film examinations, obtain slides from the Haematology laboratory.

Additional requests

Full blood count samples are retained for 2 days during which certain additional requests may be processed (see individual tests below for any specific requirements). Please note that blood films made on samples older than 24 hours will not be viable for examination due to morphological changes induced by the anticoagulant.

Additional INR and D Dimer tests on coagulation samples already in the laboratory may be requested up to 24 hours after the sample was originally taken. Due to the half-life of certain clotting factors, other coagulation tests are ideally performed on fresh samples.

For add-on tests to be performed, a request form must be sent to the laboratory indicating that the request is for add-on testing.

Haematology
Direct Antiglobulin Test/Direct Coombs Test (DAT/DCT)
Full Blood Count (FBC)
Reticulocyte Count
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Paediatric Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESRP)
Body Fluid Analysis
Blood Film
Malaria Screen
Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT)
Iron Stain
G6PD Screen
Gladular Fever Screen

Coagulation

Coagulation Screen
INR
Heparin Ratio
Low Molecular Weight Heparin (anti Xa)
Liver Screen PT
D Dimer
Thrombotic Screen
Lupus Anticoagulant Screen
von Willebrand Factor (vWF)
Coagulation Factor Assay
Factor XIII Antigen Assay
Rivaroxaban Assay
Apixaban Assay
Edoxaban Assay

Flow Cytometry
HLA B27
CD3, CD4 & CD8 HIV Monitoring
T & B Subsets
Leukaemia/Lymphoma Phenotyping
Kleihauer (requested via the Blood Transfusion department)

Haemoglobinopathies
Haemoglobinopathy Screen
Haemoglobin Electrophoresis

Sendaway Tests

Important note: All sendaway tests are either requested exclusively by Haematology consultants or laboratory staff, or can be requested by other clinical staff only if a Haematology consultant has authorised the request.

All overdue sendaway requests are pursued routinely by laboratory staff. If there are any issues regarding pending results from a sendaway test, please contact this laboratory on extension 8453 rather than the reference laboratory.

Haemochromatosis HFE gene testing is dealt with by Specimen Reception (x8468).

Leukaemia/Lymphoma phenotyping referral
Molecular testing referral
ABL Kinase domain mutations
CALR/Calreticulin
MPL
BCR-ABL Ratio Analysis (Diagnosis by FISH)
BCR-ABL Ratio Analysis (Monitoring by PCR)
BCR-ABL Ratio Analysis (Monitoring for Trial Patients)
BCR-ABL1 Kinase domain mutations
Bone marrow trephine referral
Bone marrow aspirate referral
Chromosomal Analysis, FISH & Cytogenetics
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haematuria (PNH)
Tissue Typing for Bone Marrow Transplant
CSF referral
Exon 12
Eosin-5-Maleimide (EMA)
JAK2
G6PD assay
Flow cytometry referral
HLA B27 referral
Coagulation Factor Inhibitor Screen
vWF Cleaving Protease (ADAMTS13) Assay
Coagulation test referral (Non-molecular)
Coagulation test referral (Molecular)
Platelet Function Assay
Platelet aggregation studies
vWF Multimers Assay
PIVKA II and vitamin K levels
Malaria referral
Red Cell Adenosine Deaminase
Fanconi Anaemia
PML/RARA (Diagnosis)
PML/RARA (Monitoring & Trial Patients)
Abnormal Haemoglobin referral (Globin chain analysis)
Abnormal Haemoglobin referral (Haemoglobin variant)
Gaucher’s Disease
NPM1
Rare inherited anaemia
HLH syndrome (Haemophagocytosis)
Soluble CD25
Pyruvate Kinase
Anderson-Fabry Disease
P53 mutation
Immunoglobulin Gene Mutation
Next Gene Sequencing - Myeloid
Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Next Gene Sequencing
Minimal Residual Disease Monitoring - ALL
Minimal Residual Disease Monitoring - AML
Vaccine Induced Thrombocytopenia