Patient request form

To comply with good clinical practice it is important that there is one request form for each patient’s request, and specimens and form are correctly matched, fully labelled, and include three unique patient identifiers and other relevant Information.

• First name, Surname, Date of birth, Hospital/Clinic number, Medical Record Number (MRN) are examples of patient identifiers

• Time and Date of collection of samples

• Type of sample and Anatomical site, where appropriate (e.g. swabs)

• Relevant clinical information

• Relevant details of medication

• High-risk Samples should be clearly identified on the form and individually packed separately from other samples

• Known cases of Hazard Group 4 pathogens such as Ebola or Viral Haemorrhagic Fever must NOT be sent to the laboratory. If there Is doubt about a patient’s symptoms and presentation please contact the Imported Fever Service on 0844 778 8990 for advice before sending samples to TDL or any laboratory. 

If additional tests are required for a sample already received, please contact the laboratory on 020 7307 7373 with your request for specific further analysis. Samples are stored within timeframes according to their discipline. Laboratory staff will advise on the ability to undertake further testing from samples already received in the laboratory.