Clinical microbiology focuses on the isolation and characterisation of infectious organisms so they can be managed and treated in patients.
The team at PHU provides the following services:
- Diagnostic services for hospital clinical staff and general practitioners working in the community. This includes bacterial culture, identification, and susceptibility testing, Mycobacteriology, infectious disease serology, parasitology, mycology, and molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases.
- Support to consultants in communicable disease control and their colleagues in public health medicine.
- Local surveillance and special studies in infectious diseases.
- Provision of specialist tests for neighbouring NHS Trust laboratories.
- Investigation and support in community and national outbreaks of communicable disease.
UKAS ISO 15189:2012 accreditation.
Institute of Biomedical Science for Support Services for Registration and Specialist portfolio training.
Certain samples require sending to reference laboratory include tests that are not available at PHU Microbiology, due to resources or safety, confirmation of results obtained at PHU Microbiology and further identification of organism isolated from PHU Microbiology, and can detect antigen or antibody in patients serum, PCR in patients samples, specific concentrations in patients serum, and typing of organisms isolated from patients samples.
The main referral laboratories used are associated with Public Health England (PHE) and encompasses the majority of reference laboratories. These are:
Bacterial Reference Department (BRD)
Viral Reference Department (VRD)
National Mycobacterium Reference Service (NMRS)
Mycology Reference Laboratory (MRL)
Rare and Imported Pathogen Laboratory
Travel up to E level in lift area 7. When on E level head through the link corridor to the Pathology Centre. Once in the Pathology Centre, take the lift up to F level.
Monday to Friday - 8:00am to 8:00pm.
Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holiday - 9:00am to 5:00pm.