{"id":4080,"date":"2022-05-03T11:47:20","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T10:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/laboratoryservices\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T07:54:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:54:22","slug":"laboratoryservices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/laboratoryservices\/","title":{"rendered":"Laboratory Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-alert-red-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Coeliac Testing Issues<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-alert-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f3d73f63cb8d59330c07e74bcd708e34 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Due to supply issues affecting Coeliac testing in NHS Lothian, until notified otherwise, there are changes in the interpretation of Coeliac results.<br>PLEASE NOTE THAT THE UPDATED ADVICE (8th April 2026) gives a new tTG-IgA range of negative &lt;2.5U\/mL, but please always follow the interpretative comments attached to the result.<br>Please follow the guidance in <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/files\/sites\/2\/Urgent-communication-regarding-coeliac-testing-service-in-Lothian-8th-April-2026-FOR-GP.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/files\/sites\/2\/Urgent-communication-regarding-coeliac-testing-service-in-Lothian-March-2026.pdf\">this letter<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> from the Department of Laboratory Medicine. This message will be removed when the issue has been resolved.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Information on the laboratory services is available through the main <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/\"><strong>Lothian laboratory website<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><br><strong>Sections of the website particularly relevant to primary care include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-09\/UINF-35%20-%20Tube%20Types.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WHICH BLOOD TUBE FOR WHICH TEST <\/a>or for tests not listed see <a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/TestDirectory\/Pages\/default\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Test Directory | Edinburgh and Lothians Laboratory Medicine<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For delayed specimens &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/files\/sites\/2\/UINF-36-Sample-Storage-for-Primary-Care-for-Ext-Dist.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sample storage information<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/PLIG\/Announcements\/Pages\/default\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Laboratory advice and updates<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/PLIG\/GPOrder\/Pages\/default\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Generic lab issues and GP Order Comms (GPOC) or ICE<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2025-02\/UINF-37%20-%20Lab%20sample%20requesting%20in%20the%20event%20of%20electronic%20order%20system%20downtime.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GPOC downtime instructions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-alert-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fab849691c19d3a21ee58cea0a2e0112 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Contacting the laboratories<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Please note that the Laboratory office hours are 9-5 Monday to Friday<\/strong>.<br>Outside these hours there is an on-call service for clinical advice in all disciplines 24\/7 and there will also be an on call biomedical scientist in each lab to process samples -contact us via switchboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please see the individual discipline tabs and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/2021-04\/Labs%20contact%20information%20for%20primary%20care%20Apr%202021.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">laboratory contact details (phone and email)<\/a> for all the different specialties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-alert-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2a44cdec8185b7cb601158cfa8683406 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Advice about specimens and results<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong>ADD-ON biochemistry tests \u2013 see <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/laboratoryservices\/biochemistry\/\">Biochemistry<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Abnormal results<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Abnormal results will be phoned through to the requesting practice or service in line with the laboratory <a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/UsingTheService\/Pages\/ReportingResults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">telephoning criteria<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Please see the <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/Haematology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">haematology guidelines<\/a> for managing abnormal results&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And the guidance on <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/gastrointestinal\/liverandbiliary\/abnormallftsincfib4score\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">abnormal liver function tests<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Specimen Collection Advice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Please see the advice about high risk samples on the Laboratory website: <a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/UsingTheService\/RequestTests\/Pages\/HighRiskSamples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">High Risk Samples | Edinburgh and Lothians Laboratory Medicine<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Labelling Details<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Always <strong>check the patient&#8217;s telephone number on the system<\/strong> is current and appears on the printed label or form in case we need to contact the out of hours service about a result. Please <strong>provide clinical details<\/strong> with the request where possible to aid results interpretation, especially if there is any possibility of the result being telephoned to the out of hours service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the patient does not have a <strong>Community Health Index (CHI) number, <\/strong>please write this on the form or the laboratories will need to phone for the CHI number<em>. &nbsp;Contact number for CHI queries 0131 242 788.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the <strong>patient is being given a sample bottle or pot to fill at home<\/strong>, please ask them to write on the container the date and time the sample was produced. (If this is not done the date of collection may be taken as the day the sample was requested by the clinician. For some samples there are strict time limits for processing leading to sample rejection).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Barcode labels&nbsp;<\/strong>should be placed \u2018lengthways\u2019 on the sample tubes and not wrapped horizontally around the tube, so that the scanner can read them. &nbsp;Otherwise, laboratory staff have to enter the details manually, which is slow and work-intensive. It also leads to transcription errors as the writing on the label is tiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Sample Details.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a><strong>Urine containers for 24-hour tests<\/strong><\/a> can be obtained by contacting the laboratory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Urgent samples<\/strong><ul><li><em>Put the specimen in its bag in an envelope marked \u2018urgent\u2019<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phone the <a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghlabmed.co.uk\/AboutUs\/Contact\/Pages\/LaboratoriesContactDetails\">lab reception<\/a> to warn they are coming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Samples should be placed in bags as per the table below<\/strong>:<a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>\u200b<\/td><td><strong>Microbiology<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Virology<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Haem\/Biochem<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Little Bag<\/strong> For samples from a single patient<\/td><td>Yellow<\/td><td>Blue<\/td><td>Green<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Big Bag<\/strong> Once samples are in a small bag they should be added to the appropriate big bag<\/td><td>Blue<\/td><td>Blue<\/td><td>Green (or Pink)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs\" data-active-tab=\"0\"><ul class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__nav-links\"><\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__nav-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"#\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title\">Resources &amp; Links <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/files\/sites\/2\/UINF-37-Lab-sample-requesting-in-the-event-of-electronic-order-system-downtime.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/files\/sites\/2\/UINF-37-Lab-sample-requesting-in-the-event-of-electronic-order-system-downtime.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lab sample requesting in the event of electronic order system downtime<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coeliac Testing Issues Due to supply issues affecting Coeliac testing in NHS Lothian, until notified otherwise, there are changes in the interpretation of Coeliac results.PLEASE NOTE THAT THE UPDATED ADVICE (8th April 2026) gives a new tTG-IgA range of negative &lt;2.5U\/mL, but please always follow the interpretative comments attached to the result.Please follow the guidance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":3664,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[288],"class_list":["post-4080","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-laboratoryservices"],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"NHS Lothian","author_link":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/author\/nhs-lothian\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":" <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/category\/laboratoryservices\/\" rel=\"tag\">Laboratory Services<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Coeliac Testing Issues Due to supply issues affecting Coeliac testing in NHS Lothian, until notified otherwise, there are changes in the interpretation of Coeliac results.PLEASE NOTE THAT THE UPDATED ADVICE (8th April 2026) gives a new tTG-IgA range of negative &lt;2.5U\/mL, but please always follow the interpretative comments attached to the result.Please follow the guidance","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4080"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4080\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27580,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4080\/revisions\/27580"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}