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Our cellular pathology service is based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. All specimens should be sent directly to the laboratory at the Worcestershire Royal hospital.

We provide a comprehensive histology and cytology (including a consultant led FNA service), together with an operating mortuary.

The laboratory at the Alexandra Hospital provides a pre-booked frozen section service and an operating mortuary.

We have a consultant pathologist as our designated Human Tissue Act (HTA) individual for the trust.

Who’s who and contact details

Laboratory locations and opening times

Tests available

Request forms for cellular pathology

All cellular pathology requests must now be made on ICE.

Clinicians should ensure that the appropriate ICE request and specimen container are available before undertaking any biopsy procedures.

Request forms for Cytology

All cytology requests must now be made on ICE.

Urgent Requests – If this is required the requesting doctor should discuss with a Consultant Pathologist beforehand.
All specimens should be clearly marked Urgent for the laboratory to fast track.

Urgent Reports – WRH – If results are required urgently, the Consultant Pathologist should be contacted BEFORE the specimen is sent to the laboratory. Urgent results may be obtained by telephone from the Consultant Pathologist.

Completion of request forms

All requests must be made on ICE using the cellular pathology page or by using the options that have been added to your speciality page. Please ensure all essential fields are filled out correctly and that all patient identifiers are correct.

• Relevant clinical details are important
  It is essential that each specimen be accompanied by an appropriate clinical history. More detailed information may be required for specific specimen types and some of the more common are outlined below. Complex cases often benefit from discussion and the Pathologists are always happy to be consulted in advance.                                                     
• Previous operations and biopsies
  All previous requests for Histopathology should be listed even when their relevance to the current investigation is unclear. Such previous investigations are often crucial and are easily overlooked. The dates of these investigations should be given accurately together with the Laboratory number whenever possible.                                                                     
• Extra Copy to – The Laboratory will provide extra copies of reports to any destination indicated where these are necessary due to shared care by Consultants. The Laboratory will not be responsible for communication with GPs regarding the results of Hospital Investigations, this remains the duty of the Clinician.

The specimen must be clearly identified, with full patient and specimen details. Where a multi-part specimen (for example, endoscopic biopsies) are received with a single ICE request, individual specimens must be clearly labelled, to indicate the site from which each biopsy was taken.

Criteria for non-compliant specimens are as follows:

• ICE request and specimen container details do not correlate
• Patients name on ICE request form does not correspond with name on specimen container
• The specimens received do not correspond to those stated on the ICE request
• Insufficient clinical/specimen information on request form / specimen container
• Specimen container leaking
• Specimen received without a printed ICE request form
• ICE requests received without a specimen
• Specimen container empty

If the information on the ICE request form and/or specimen is inconsistent or incomplete, the specimen WILL NOT BE examined and the sender advised.

Turn around time

It is the departments aim to report at least 80% of all cases within 7 days of reciept and 90% within 10 days of reciept.  Major resections, complex cases and specimens requiring special techniques may take longer. Some cases require external referral to specialist centres which necessarily increases turnaround time; the department will endeavour to issue a provisional report in these circumstances as soon as possible.

High risk cases may take longer due to a delay in processing as they are left to fix for a further 24 hours upon receipt.

Protection of personal information

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust takes the security of personal information very seriously. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about patients confidential.

Patients’ health information is protected through a number of measures; all Trust staff are required to:

a. Record patient information accurately and consistently

b. Keep patient information private

c. Keep patient information physically secure

d. Disclose and use information with appropriate care

Any breaches of security or incidents relating to Information Governance are investigated, actioned and reported via the Trust’s Governance Structure.

In order to support our staff in ensuring personal information is kept securely the Trust have a number of policies which set out the requirements staff must fulfil when accessing or sharing personal information. Furthermore, all staff receive Information Governance Training which includes topics such as information security, confidentiality and data protection.