Mandatory Labelling Criteria
All specimens and request forms must show three unique identifiers;
- First name
- Family name
- Date of birth
NB: We place a high priority on patient safety, therefore samples/requests where full names are substituted by initials will be treated as per the Sample Acceptance Policy and may lead to a delay in your results.
In addition, the following information may also be supplied;
- Date and time written on blood tube
- Hospital number
- NHS number
- Gender
Request forms should give details of the requestor and the location;
- Internal request - location (ward code) and clinician details/code.
- External request - address label/surgeryand GP details.
Request forms should be dated and signed by those taking the specimen.
Some other useful tips to remember when ordering tests are;
- Be clear and legible and label specimens correctly e.g. John Smith NOT J Smith.
- Fill the blood specimen bottles to the mark. Short specimens cannot be handled automatically which causes delays.
- Avoid haemolysis. Green and blue needles are standard. Orange needles are available for patients where it may be difficult to obtain a specimen e.g. children. Please be aware that haemolysis is more likely to occur with orange needles.
- We appreciate there are times when you need to call us to add tests to a specimen we have already received. Please be aware that it takes time to add the tests, locate the specimen, run through the analyser again, etc.
- Use urine monovette tubes with borate preservative for urine microbiology (but note these are unsuitable for chemistry tests and cytology urines. For chemistry and cytology they would need a separate specimen).
For more information on sample requirements, view our Specimen Acceptance Policy or view the safety notice on the Health and Safety Executive website.
