Social media icons
Immunology
The Immunology service at St Helier Hospital provides a comprehensive clinical and diagnostic service for our hospitals, a number of local and distant hospitals, local GPs and other healthcare providers. The Allergy services are also co-ordinated by our consultants.
Clinical immunology services
Three substantive and one locum consultant immunologists run allergy clinics for the diagnosis and management of many allergic conditions in adults. This includes drug allergy clinics, challenge clinics as well as immunotherapy clinics for allergen desensitisation (to aeroallergens and insect venoms).
Immunodeficiency
Four consultant immunologists provide a regional service for the investigation and management of primary and secondary Immunodeficiency in adults. Our clinical nurse specialists run a hospital-based infusion clinic and co-ordinate home therapy for patients requiring immunoglobulin replacement therapy (by intravenous or subcutaneous routes).
For information about COVID-19 treatments in patients with immunodeficiency, please see:
Allergy
Four consultant immunologists run allergy clinics for the diagnosis and management of many allergic conditions in adults including anaphylaxis, angioedema and urticaria, drug allergy, food allergy (including nut allergy), latex allergy, rhino-conjunctivitis (seasonal and perennial and insect venom allergy as well as immunotherapy clinics for allergen desensitisation (to aeroallergens and insect venoms).
Referral to allergy clinic (adult guidelines)
Training and teaching
The department is accredited for both biomedical scientist and clinical scientist training. Consultants provide Immunology teaching for medical students at St Georges University of London and also participate in training of junior doctors and GP trainees. We have full JCRPTB approval for postgraduate training in Immunology.
Location and opening hours
The immunology laboratory is located on second floor, D block, St Helier.
Laboratory opening hours
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Contact details
Tel: 020 8296 2217
Key staff
- Dr Grant Hayman, Consultant Immunologist and Head of Department
- Dr Tasneem Rahman, Consultant Immunologist
- Dr James Laffan, Consultant Immunologist
- Dr John Guly, Consultant Immunologist
- Clarice Valera, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Raquel Thapa, Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Mariel Alducente, Clinical Nurse Specialist
For allergy and immunodeficiency appointments/queries:
Tel: 020 8296 4840
Email: immunology-sth@nhs.net
More information
Immunology laboratory
The Immunology Laboratory and Protein Reference Unit is a specialist service based at St George’s Hospital. It is part of South West London Pathology, a network of pathology services which serve Kingston, Croydon and St George’s Hospitals, as well at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals.
It provides a comprehensive diagnostic service for immunology across the South West London Pathology network. The department hosts one of two Supraregional Assay Service Protein Reference Units in England UK and serves an extensive client base nationally and internationally, receiving samples from over 100 referring hospitals.
The wide and diverse UKAS-accredited repertoire of tests carried out by the Immunology Laboratory and Protein Reference Unit help to exclude, diagnose and monitor a variety of immunologically-based diseases relating to:
- allergy
- immune deficiency
- hematological malignancy
- autoimmune disease.
See the full list of immunology tests
Department opening hours
Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm
Laboratory enquiries: stgeorgespru@nhs.net, 0208 725 0025
Clinical enquiries: immunologyclinicalenquiries@stgeorges.nhs.uk, 0208 725 5106
(Please note, the stgeorges.nhs.uk domain is a secure network)
Immunology and Protein Reference Unit Laboratory Manager: Laura Kirsopp – laura.kirsopp@nhs.net, 020 8725 6182
SWLP Immunology Clinical Lead: Dr. Rachel Wheeler - r.wheeler@nhs.net, 0208 725 1870
Expert advice
Clinical advice on test requesting and interpretation of test results is available from our Consultant team during working hours. Questions relating to patient management should be directed to the St Helier Immunology Clinical team.
Guidance on interpreting test results
Please find guidance to help you interpret specific test results below.
Get connected
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on LinkedIn
- Review on NHS Choices
- Watch our videos
NHS image placement
