Clinical biochemistry

Our clinical biochemistry service is mainly based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, with some services offered at the Alexandra hospital.

The laboratory is also involved in the management of point of care testing (POCT) including test/equipment selection, training and external quality assurance. The lead consultant for clinical biochemistry chairs our Multidisciplinary POCT Committee which meets quarterly, and reports to the Medical Devices Committee. 

Who’s who and contact details

For urgent queries out of hours (see opening times below), please contact the laboratory or consultant on call via switchboard. Phone calls are not routinely answered outside of core hours.

Position/role	Person/team	Contact details
Laboratory Enquiries (e.g. results and advice)	Email (general enquiries e.g. add-ons and results): [email protected] Email (clinical enquiries): [email protected]	DDI 01905 760653 x 30651 Out of hours the biochemistry laboratory or consultant on-call can be contacted via switchboard (for urgent enquiries only)
Consultant Chemical Pathologist (Lab Director)	Dr Chandrashekar Shetty	01905 760630 x 30616
Consultant Clinical Biochemist	Dr Mike Cornes	WRH 01905 760843  x30617 ALEX 01527 512118  x 42118
Clinical Scientists	Abigail Stow Daniella Clegg Katie Spittle	01905 760632  x 30618 01527 512118 x 42118
Consultant Clinical Scientist	Dr Louise Hawke	01527 512118 x 42118
Biochemistry Laboratory Manager/Head BMS	Jessica Patel	01905 760535 x 39610
Pre-Analytics Laboratory Manager	Sarah Price	WRH 01905 760152   x 33060
Senior Biomedical Scientists	Meb Zareen, Jacob Harrison, Mohammad Hussain (Automation) Emma Illingworth (POCT) Isabel Baptista (Proteins) Adedoja Adeseye (Quality Manager) Hannah Spavin (Training Officer and Deputy lab manager)	x 30651 x 30619 x 30603 x 39611 x 33060/42118
Dr Shetty’s Secretary	Mrs Julia Pearce	x 30214 DDI 01905760689
Clinical Biochemistry Secretary	Mrs Kathleen Muratore	x 30651 DDI 01905760653
Laboratory Enquiries (e.g. results) – WRH		x 30651 DDI 01905760653
Laboratory Enquiries (eg results) – Alex		x 44713

Biochemistry laboratory locations

Address	Opening hours
River level Worcestershire Royal Hospital Charles Hastings Way Worcester WR5 1DD	Core hours Monday to Friday: 8.30am – 5.30pm Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 9am – 12noon No routine Sunday service Emergency out of hours Monday to Friday: 5.30pm – 8.30am Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 12noon – 9am All day Sunday
Alexandra Hospital Woodrow Drive Redditch Worcestershire B98 7UB	Core hours Monday to Friday: 8.45am – 5.30pm Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 9am – 12noon No routine Sunday service Emergency out of hours Monday – Friday: 5.30pm – 8.30am Saturdays and Bank Holidays: 12noon – 9am All day Sunday

Tests available

Please see the A-Z directory of pathology tests.

The Biochemistry department is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory no. 9774. If tests are not accredited this is detailed on our results reports and also on the A-Z of tests. The exception to this is our calculated tests (e.g. eGFR, AKI, free testosterone), which are NOT UKAS accredited and are not all listed separately on our A-Z, but all assayed tests used in these calculations are UKAS accredited.

Telephoning results – see our telephoning results policy:

Tests available out of normal hours

All routine clinical biochemistry tests are available 24/7 – see A-Z of tests for specific test information

Urgent referral test or GP requests

Please telephone the laboratory prior to sending urgent referral test requests (e.g. MPO/PR3, GBM, immunosuppressants) if analysis is required within 24hrs. See Immunology – Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for more information.

Urgent samples from GP surgeries should be placed in orange bags.

Immunology

The Biochemistry department handles the requests and samples for Immunology testing. Analysis is performed at Immunology at Wye Valley Trust or sent by them to an additional Immunology referral laboratory – see Immunology – Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for further information.

Urgent toxicology analysis

Urgent out of hours analytical toxicology of drugs – see https://www.npis.org/Healthcare.html and contact Toxicology laboratory as below, if required

For Ethylene glycol analysis please contact Toxicology laboratory, Birmingham: 0121 507 4138 or Trust switchboard if out of hours: 0121 553 1831. See below for further information:

Requesting additional tests

Inpatients
Send a completed request form with the laboratory number of sample to which extra examinations need adding.

GP/Outpatients
A telephone request may be acceptable if there is insufficient time to send a new request form before the sample is discarded (after 4 days). Please quote the laboratory number of the sample if known.

Or email [email protected]

Specimen containers

Out of date specimen containers must not be used.

Worcestershire Royal
Most pathology containers are available through the central distribution stores. The following are available from pathology reception:

• 24 hour urine containers
• paediatric blood tubes
• FIT patient packs
• Trace element tubes 

Alexandra and Kidderminster Hospitals
Most pathology containers are available through the pathology specimen reception at the Alex. Contact [email protected].

24 hour urine bottles

24h urine bottles for GP surgeries are available via the specimen reception at Worcestershire Royal (email [email protected]). They can also be ordered from the Alexandra Hospital using a biochemistry consumables order form or email address above.

Collection bottles for outpatients are available from the clinical biochemistry department as above.

For more information on 24h urine collection see 24h urine information – Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Point of care (POC)

Please see the point of care testing page for more information.

Research investigations and clinical trials

Before undertaking any biochemical investigations, which are to be conducted as part of a research project or clinical trial, you must discuss the protocol and workload entailed with the head of department.