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Microbiology
Our Microbiology laboratories provide a 24-hour quality diagnostic, interpretative and clinical service, including comprehensive bacteriological and virological diagnostic services for GPs and hospital clinicians.
Our experienced medical and scientific staff are able to give advice on a wide range of microbiological matters such as diagnosis and management of infections and communicable diseases, antibiotic information and infection control.
We work closely with the infection control specialist nurses to provide a comprehensive control of infection service for our hospitals and associated community services.
Pathology services at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals are part of South West London Pathology (SWLP), a network of pathology services which serve Kingston, Croydon and St George’s Hospitals, as well at Epsom and St Helier.
Find out more about Microbiology services at SWLP
Our microbiology laboratories use sophisticated automated equipment alongside a wide range of advanced techniques to detect, identify and treat infections and to prevent the spread of infection. We specialise in:
- bacteriology
- virology
- molecular diagnostics
- mycology
- parasitology.
There has been great investment in new technology within microbiology. The laboratory is now one of the most advanced in the UK and has been visited by private healthcare companies from the UK, Europe, China and Australia as well as other NHS hospitals.
We offer:
- dedicated operational and clinical support
- a fully UKAS accredited laboratory
- logistical set up and results reporting to meet your requirements.
Our clinical advice service for all diagnostic results is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
See the full list of microbiology tests
Contact details
Microbiology clinical queries: 020 8296 2779. Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm. If you are calling outside of these hours, please contact the consultants via the switchboard (020 8296 2000).
Microbiology results enquires: 020 8296 2841
Location and opening hours
Location
First floor, D Block, St Helier Hospital.
Samples should be delivered to Pathology Specimen Reception at either St Helier Hospital or Epsom Hospital.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm. The lab is also open Saturdays from 8.30am to 12.30pm for urgent samples only.
Urgent samples/Laboratory enquiries
Please inform the laboratory prior to sending the sample on 020 8725 5689.
Out of hours
Results: 0208 7255 468
Laboratory queries and urgent requests: 0208 7255 689/5695
Out of hours (via switchboard): 07825 923 183
Key staff
- Dr Jim Stephenson - Consultant Microbiologist and Lead for Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening (IDPS)
- Dr John P Clark - Consultant Microbiologist, Director of Clinical Services
- Dr Jayakeerthi Rangaiah - Consultant Microbiologist and Infection Control Lead
- Dr Freda Sundram - Consultant Microbiologist, Antimicrobial Stewardship Lead in the department, freda.sundram@nhs.net
Out-of-hours emergency service
An out-of-hours emergency service is provided between 6pm and 8.30am Monday to Friday and from 12 noon Saturday to 8.30am Monday morning and on bank holidays.
The on-call biomedical scientist must be contacted via the hospital switchboard (020 8296 2000) prior to sending the sample as a routine service is not provided during these times.
Samples are considered to be urgent where an early diagnosis would be beneficial to the management of the patients’ treatment. Medical advice can be obtained from the consultant via the hospital switchboard. Results will be telephoned.
Urgent samples include:
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with suspected meningitis and query SAH
- Fluids pus, tissue from patients with septic arthritis or osteomyelitis
- Operative pus or swabs
- Ascitic fluid from query bacterial peritonitis
- Hepatitis B surface antigen if for immediate dialysis or for potential kidney donors
- Hepatitis C antibodies if for immediate dialysis or for potential kidney donors
- HIV antibody testing for women presenting in labour with no booking blood result
- Hepatitis B, C and HIV test for needle stick donors
- Other samples may be requested particularly by paediatricians, eg urgent urine cell-counts, NPA for RSV
Please include relevant clinical details to ensure that appropriate investigations are performed on each specimen. Current or intended antimicrobial therapy should be stated on the request form.
Clinical advice: available from consultant microbiologists in core hours. For out of hours advice please, contact the switchboard (020 8296 2000) who will contact the on-call microbiology consultant.
Virology
Our virology laboratory carries out a wide range of both routine and specialist tests, including hepatitis and HIV testing.
We are always happy to advise on appropriate samples and how they should be collected/sent. It is always helpful to the laboratory to know in advance of any urgent or precious samples being sent to us.
For virology requests where users may be less familiar with the range of tests available it is particularly helpful for the laboratory to have full clinical details on the request form so that the most appropriate test can be carried.
Bacteriology
The bacteriology section of the Microbiology department deals with the isolation, identification, and antibiotic sensitivity testing of clinically significant bacterial isolates from clinical samples.
Many bacteriological investigations initially involve the inoculation of the specimen onto culture media followed by overnight incubation at body temperature.
Initial bacterial culture results are therefore rarely available until the day after receipt of the specimen and the final result may take a further one or more days.
Cell counts have been proven to be accurate to +/- 10% of the stated value following in-house annual review.
Out of hours emergency service
An out of hours emergency service is provided between 6pm and 8.30am Monday to Friday and from 12noon Saturday to 8.30am Monday morning and on bank holidays.
The on-call biomedical scientist must be contacted via the hospital switchboard (020 8296 2000) prior to sending the sample as a routine service is not provided during these times.
Samples are considered to be urgent where an early diagnosis would be beneficial to the management of the patients’ treatment. Medical advice can be obtained from the consultant via the hospital switchboard. Results will be telephoned.
Urgent samples include:
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with suspected meningitis and query SAH
- Fluids pus, tissue from patients with septic arthritis or osteomyelitis
- Operative pus or swabs
- Ascitic fluid from query bacterial peritonitis
- Hepatitis B surface antigen if for immediate dialysis or for potential kidney donors
- Hepatitis C antibodies if for immediate dialysis or for potential kidney donors
- HIV antibody testing for women presenting in labour with no booking blood result
- Hepatitis B, C and HIV test for needle stick donors
- Other samples may be requested particularly by paediatricians, eg urgent urine cell-counts, NPA for RSV.
Please include relevant clinical details to ensure that appropriate investigations are performed on each specimen. Current or intended antimicrobial therapy should be stated on the request form.
Clinical advice: available from consultant microbiologists in core hours. For out of hours advice please, contact the switchboard (020 8296 2000) who will contact the on-call microbiology consultant.
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