Histology Home

Telephone Extensions

Consultant Pathologist Dr Mike Light 2272

Consultant Pathologist Dr Roy Whittaker 2271

Consultant Pathologist Dr Rajul Singh 2263

Consultant Pathologist Dr Iqbal Dhesi 2262

Consultant Pathologist Dr Tausif Saleem
2271

Clinical Cytologist
and Trust Cervical Screening Co-ordinator Barbara Clarke    2264

Head Biomedical Scientist Steve Hay 2268

Medical Secretary   Simone Hulme 2260

Customer Service Representative Pauline Hodgetts    2268

Histology or Cytology General Enquiries       2260/2261

Main Laboratory       2268

Mortuary/post Mortems       2280

Customer Service Direct Line       0121-311 1145

Fax Number       0121-378 6148

Specimen & Request form labelling

Full and clear details are required, including the post code.
Inadequately labelled specimens cannot be processed and reports cannot be issued unless the hospital, ward and other source is known. Please note that Medical Records rely on Registration Numbers for accurate filing of reports.

Routine Histology

Routine specimens should be placed in a suitable, clearly labelled container of adequate size, containing sufficient formal saline to completely immerse the tissue.
All specimens from Good Hope Hospital locations must be brought directly to the Histology laboratory, where patient identification and specimen labelling will be checked. Inadequately identified samples will not be accepted and will be returned for appropriate amendment.
A signature is given on receipt of accepted specimens.
Specimens must not be placed in a refrigerator.

Specimens sent to the laboratory fresh (not in fixative), but not requiring frozen section, eg. lymph nodes and cone biopsies.
These must be dispatched immediately to the Histology Department after removal from the patient and not left at Pathology Reception. Delay will result in deterioration of the specimen.
Mastectomies and wide local excisions of breast
Should be sent to the laboratory in formal saline as soon after removal as possible. Instruct the porter to deliver these specimens directly to a BMS in the Histology laboratory.
N.B. Do not deliver to Pathology Reception.

Tumours and tissue requiring specialised fixation
eg. adrenal tumours. Please seek advice from the Laboratory.

Urgent Reports

If an urgent report is required for Histology, inform the laboratory by telephone. Label the request form 'URGENT' and ensure the specimen is sent to the laboratory immediately.
N.B. Please do not leave at Pathology Reception.

Frozen Section Request

Please telephone the laboratory to make arrangements.

24 hours notice should ideally be given.

Send dry tissue ( do not immerse in fixative ) immediately.
Instruct the porter to deliver it directly to a BioMedical Scientist in the Histology Laboratory.

Do not deliver to the general Pathology Specimen Reception.

If the surgical procedure is delayed, please inform the laboratory.

N.B. Some tissues cannot be cut as frozen sections, ie bone, calcified nodules and specimens suspected or known to represent a biological hazard (TB, Hep B, HIV etc). If in doubt, seek advice from the laboratory.

Notification of deaths to the Coroner

Deaths which should be referred to the Coroner include:-

1 Death from an unknown cause.

2 Death due to violence or unnatural causes, including:
Violence, accident in the home, on the road or elsewhere, neglect or negligence, poisoning (accidental suicidal, homicidal) or in which any of the above might have played some part.

3 Death due to abortion

4 Death of a patient with industrial disease or poisoning, including food poisoning.

5 Death during any operation, before recovery from anaesthetic, or at ANY time following an operation for injury.

6 Death of a patient in hospital, who has recently suffered any untoward incident, including:
Drug reaction, incompatible transfusion, fall from bed.

7 Alcoholism

8 a) Service pensioners and disability pensioners.
b) Foster children.

If in doubt, please seek a Pathologist's advice

Notification should be made to the Coroner's Officer for Birmingham or Staffordshire South, depending on the home address of the deceased.
Coroner's Officer Birmingham :                 Tel : 0121 303 3228
Coroner's Officer Staffordshire South :    Tel : 01785 276127

Coroner's office addresses :

H.M.Coroner Birmingham.
Mr A. Cotter
Coroner's Court
50 Newton Road
Birmingham
B4 6NE H.M.Coroner Staffordshire South
Mr. A. Haig
15 Martin Street
Stafford

Post Mortems

A hospital post mortem cannot be performed until the following have been sent to the Histology office :
1. A request form, completed by the doctor in charge of the case.
2. A permission form, signed by the next of kin.
3. The case notes.

Verbal permission for a post mortem is NOT sufficient.

Requests for examination of any foetus must be accompanied by a signed consent form and the case notes. The foetus, the consent form and the case notes will be dispatched to the Birmingham Women's Hospital for post-mortem.
The case notes must be sent to the Histology Secretary.

Cervical Cytology

Cervical Cytology : Request Form

Use HMR 101/5 request form. ( National Cervical Cytology Form ).
Complete all details, including the post code and NHS number.
Give full clinical details and relevant history.
This is particularly important where women have had previous cytology or treatment at another hospital.

Please do not take a cervical smear where there is a history of abnormal bleeding - the patient should be referred for a gynaecological opinion.

The cervical smear is not a diagnostic test. Where the cervix has not been visualised/not adequately visualised this must be indicated on the request form.
Cervical Cytology : Slide Labelling

Use a frosted end slide and label with pencil.
Do not use Biro or markers.
Label with :
1.Surname.   2.Date of Birth.   3 Registration number or NHS number.
4. 'E Brush' if an endocervical brush sample is used.

N.B. An endocervical brush sample is not for routine use and should only be used for example, if a previous endocervical abnormality has been reported.

Cervical Cytology : Smear taking, spreading & fixing

Make a firm 360⁰ sampling of cervix and spread smear smoothly and quickly.

Fix immediately, using Cytofix, supplied by the laboratory.

The slide should be left horizontal for 15 minutes or until the fixative becomes opaque, before being placed in a plastic slide transport box .

More than one slide can be placed in each container, but ensure they do not touch.

N.B. Only one slide should be prepared for each patient.

Cervical Cytology : Transport to Laboratory
Place the request form (please do not fold), and slide box(es) together in the supplied wallet or a large sealed envelope, addressed to Cytology. Please do not include samples for any other Pathology department in this envelope.

N.B. Inadequately labelled smears and/or inadequately filled request forms will be returned to the sender.

Cervical Cytology : Laboratory Visits
For any information / advice please contact the Clinical Cytologist, Barbara Clarke.
Visits to the laboratory for practice nurses or doctors can be arranged, or alternatively talks and discussions arranged at your practice.

Cervical Cytology : Inadequate Smear Rates
These are issued on a quarterly basis to each GP practice using an anonymised practice code.
Results can be issued per smear taker if arrangements for smear taker identities have been agreed with the Clinical Cytologist, the Chief BMS or the Senior BMS in Cytology.

Cervical Cytology : National Standards
The laboratory complies with all National Standards for the NHS Cervical screening Programme (NHSCSP ) and results for Achievable Standards as set by the NHSCSP are consistently within the set ranges.

Cervical Cytology : Follow Up Protocols for Abnormal Smears

These are issued from the laboratory and further copies are available on request.
Protocols for follow up of post treatment patients are also available for patients referred to Good Hope Hospital for treatment.

Non-Gynae Cytology

Non Gynae Cytology : Request form & Specimen Labelling
Use the blue coloured Non Gynaecological Cytology request form and safety envelope supplied by Pathology Stores.
Full and clear details are required, including:
         Surname, Forename, Date of Birth, Registration or NHS number, Post Code.

Please also give relevant clinical data and the sample site.

Inadequately labelled specimens cannot be processed and reports cannot be issued unless the hospital and ward or other source, eg. Practice, is known.

Please note that Medical Records rely on registration numbers for accurate filing of reports and that the NHS Number is a mandatory item of the patient minimum data set.

Sputum

Samples should be early morning, deep cough samples, produced prior to consumption of food or drink and prior to teeth cleaning. Generally, 3 samples are needed to confirm a negative result. The samples must not be produced on the same day.
(Not Saturdays and Sundays.)

Urinary Tract Cytology

A freshly voided or catheter sample in a sterile white top universal container.
This is particularly important if crystals examination is required because red top universals contain boric acid and are unsuitable for assessment as the boric acid may have a detrimental effect on any crystals present.
Send to the Cytology laboratory within 4 hours and before 4pm Monday to Friday.
(Not Saturdays or Sundays).
Please indicate if it is a catheter sample.
N.B. Please do not submit midstream urine or the first sample of the day.

Fluid Cytology

Pleural or ascitic effusion, peritoneal washings, breast cyst fluid, hydrocele fluid, ovarian cyst fluid, etc. should be placed in a sterile universal.
Send to the Cytology laboratory to arrive on the same day, before 4 pm Monday to Friday.
(Not Saturdays or Sundays).

Cerebrospinal Fluid

Notify the Laboratory by telephone before submission of the sample.
The sample should be brought immediately to the Cytology Department
N.B. Do not deliver to Pathology Reception.

NB: Specimens to arrive in laboratory before 4pm Mon-Fri.

Arrangements can be made via Switchboard.for out-of-hours processing,

Bronchial Washings

The sample should be placed in a white capped sterile universal and not sent in the bronchial trap.
Send to the Cytology Laboratory to arrive on the same day, before 4pm Monday to Friday.

Bronchial Washings for Pneumocystis carinii identification

Notify the Laboratory by telephone before submission of these samples.
The sample should be placed in a white capped sterile universal and not sent in the bronchial trap.
State 'High risk' and 'For Pneumocystis carinii' on the request form.
Arrangements can be made for out-of-hours processing by contacting a Consultant Pathologist via switchboard.

Fine Needle Aspirations (FNAS)

1. Use clean slides with frosted ends.

2. Label 4 slides clearly in pencil with:-
    a) 2 patient identifiers e.g. Name and DOB/Registration No.
    b) Fixation method i.e. wet fixed - label W (2 slides).   Air dried - label D (2 slides).

3. Spread material quickly and gently to obtain a monolayer (thin layer) of cells.

4. Fix wet fixed slides IMMEDIATELY with spray cytofix or alcohol - leave in a horizontal position for 15 minutes or until the fixative becomes opaque.
Dry air dried slides immediately by 'waving' in the air.

5. When slides are dry, place slides in slide carrier/carriers. Please ensure that they do not touch each other.

NB: Fixation: Poor fixation is a common cause of unsatisfactory results.
Fixation must be instant.

6. Place slides in a transport box, making sure they are separated.

7. Place transport box in the safety envelope attached to completed request form.

Slides, request forms, fixative, transport boxes and information
are available from the cytology laboratory

Brush Cytology : Gastric, Rectal, Oesophageal, Bronchial or other

Label slides in pencil with Name and Registration Number.

Spread sample by rolling brush along slide.

Fix immediately using spray cytofix or 95% ethanol.
Leave in a horizontal position for 15 minutes or until the fixative becomes opaque.
Place slides in a transport box making sure they are separated.

Place transport box in the safety envelope attached to completed request form.

Synovial Fluid for Crystals

Place in a sterile white capped universal.
Send to the Cytology Laboratory to arrive on the same day, before 4pm Monday to Friday

Miscellaneous Non Gynae Samples

Contact the laboratory for advice regarding unusual samples.

Consultant Pathologist	Dr Mike Light	2272
Consultant Pathologist	Dr Roy Whittaker	2271
Consultant Pathologist	Dr Rajul Singh	2263
Consultant Pathologist	Dr Iqbal Dhesi	2262
Consultant Pathologist	Dr Tausif Saleem	2271
Clinical Cytologist and Trust Cervical Screening Co-ordinator	Barbara Clarke	2264
Head Biomedical Scientist	Steve Hay	2268
Medical Secretary	Simone Hulme	2260
Customer Service Representative	Pauline Hodgetts	2268
Histology or Cytology General Enquiries		2260/2261
Main Laboratory		2268
Mortuary/post Mortems		2280
Customer Service Direct Line		0121-311 1145
Fax Number		0121-378 6148

Deaths which should be referred to the Coroner include:-
1	Death from an unknown cause.
2	Death due to violence or unnatural causes, including: Violence, accident in the home, on the road or elsewhere, neglect or negligence, poisoning (accidental suicidal, homicidal) or in which any of the above might have played some part.
3	Death due to abortion
4	Death of a patient with industrial disease or poisoning, including food poisoning.
5	Death during any operation, before recovery from anaesthetic, or at ANY time following an operation for injury.
6	Death of a patient in hospital, who has recently suffered any untoward incident, including: Drug reaction, incompatible transfusion, fall from bed.
7	Alcoholism
8	a) Service pensioners and disability pensioners. b) Foster children.
If in doubt, please seek a Pathologist's advice

1.	Use clean slides with frosted ends.
2.	Label 4 slides clearly in pencil with:- a) 2 patient identifiers e.g. Name and DOB/Registration No. b) Fixation method i.e. wet fixed - label W (2 slides). Air dried - label D (2 slides).
3.	Spread material quickly and gently to obtain a monolayer (thin layer) of cells.
4.	Fix wet fixed slides IMMEDIATELY with spray cytofix or alcohol - leave in a horizontal position for 15 minutes or until the fixative becomes opaque. Dry air dried slides immediately by 'waving' in the air.
5.	When slides are dry, place slides in slide carrier/carriers. Please ensure that they do not touch each other.
NB: Fixation: Poor fixation is a common cause of unsatisfactory results. Fixation must be instant.
6.	Place slides in a transport box, making sure they are separated.
7.	Place transport box in the safety envelope attached to completed request form.
Slides, request forms, fixative, transport boxes and information are available from the cytology laboratory