Laboratory Medicine

Clinics are held on weekdays at Level 1A, Laboratory Medicine Building, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow. Peripheral Clinics are held, usually monthly, at the following locations:

• Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
• Houldsworth Centre, Wishaw
• Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Dumfries
• Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert 

All referrals should be sent to the Clinical Genetics Service at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (Laboratory Medicine ) and the patients will be offered an appointment at the nearest appropriate clinic, or in some situations, a virtual consultation.

Prenatal Genetics Clinics

• Consultant and Genetic Counsellor clinics are held at Clinical Genetics Department, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
• MDT Clinic alongside Fetal Medicine Service at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

Cancer Genetic Clinics

Consultant and Genetic Counsellor clinics are held at Clinical Genetics Department, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

At present, satellite clinics for cancer genetics are not being held at locations around the region, but patients will be offered remote consultatation by video or telephone as an alternative to travelling to Glasgow to be seen face to face, as appropriate.  

It is not always necessary to see patients with cancer genetics family history in clinic, and some referrals will be dealt with by letter. 

Specialist Genetics Clinics

Neuromuscular genetics clinics

• Neuromuscular clinic- Clinical Genetics, QUEH
• Jointly with Paediatric Neurologists at Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow – Monthly to bimonthly 
• Jointly with Adult Neurologists, Clinical Genetics, QUEH- Bimonthly to quarterly

Neurogenetics clinics

• Jointly with Paediatric Neurologists at Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow
• HD Management Clinic, bi-monthly jointly with QEUH Neurology
• Adult neurogenetic/movement disorders clinic
• Monthly with Consultant Neurologist, Institute for neurological Sciences, QUEH, Glasgow

Specialist clinics with genetics input  

• Endocrine cancer clinic (familial paraganglioma, MEN, VHL)
• Held jointly with endocrinologists at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, and with endocrinologists at Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.

Neurofibromatosis 2 clinic (NF2, Schwannomatosis)

With specialist ENT and skull base surgeons at QEUH, Glasgow

Child Development Clinic

• Jointly with community paediatricians in some locations, Child Development Centres, Greater Glasgow & Clyde/Lanarkshire

Complex Bone Disorders clinic (direct referrals to paediatric endocrinology)

• Twice monthly with paediatric endocrinologist, RHC, Glasgow

Achondroplasia clinic

• Jointly with paediatric endocrinology/neurosurgery/ENT/respiratory medicine/orthopaedics, 4-5 times per year, RHC Glasgow

Inherited Cardiac Conditions clinic (direct referrals to ‘Inherited Cardiac Conditions’ on SCI-Gateway)

• Held weekly in Clinical Genetics department, QEUH, Glasgow jointly with cardiology

Paediatric Aortopathy clinic

• Two times per year with paediatric cardiology, paediatric rheumatology and clinical genetic input, RHC Glasgow

Paediatric Endocrine/Genetic clinic

• Two times per year, held with paediatric endocrinology and clinical genetic input, RHC Glasgow

Differences in Sexual Development clinic

• Monthly, held with paediatric endocrinology,clinical psychology and clinical genetic input RHC Glasgow

Paediatric Rheumatology/Genetic clinic

• Two times per year held with paediatric rheumatology, RHC Glasgow

Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis Clinic

• Patients seen at Clinical Genetics clinics initially, and thereafter by Assisted Conception Service

Craniofacial Clinic

• QEUH, Glasgow

Cleft Palate Clinic (direct referrals to Cleft team)

• Jointly with cleft team, monthly at RHC Glasgow

Myotonic Dystrophy Clinics (Adults)

Held weekly at QEUH in Clinical Genetics with patients attending appointments at the Inherited Cardiac Conditions Clinic on Tuesdays (seen as joint appointments with Cardiology) or Genetics Clinic on Thursdays. Peripheral clinics are provided at: University Hospital Crosshouse, Forth Valley Royal Hospital, The Houldsworth Centre in Wishaw, University Hospital Monklands. Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Inverclyde Royal Hospital and Vale of Leven Hospital.

As clinical staff may not be in the department or may be on leave, it may be preferable to contact via the genetics secretaries or generic email / phone rather than directly.

Telephone: 0141 354 9200 or 0141 354 9300

Email: GGC.geneticssecretaries@ggc.nhs.scot

COVID-19 Instructions and Risk Assessments

All instructions and risk assessments for testing in patients with suspected or positive COVID-19 are listed below. This page will hold the most up to date version.

• GEM 5000 blood gas analysers
• Blood gas risk assessment
• Blood gas instruction

Abbott Freestyle Precision Pro glucose meters

• Blood glucose risk assessment
• Blood glucose instruction

Abbott i-STAT analyser

• I-STAT risk assessment
• I-STAT instruction

Roche influenza point of care unit

• POC influenza risk assessment
• POC influenza instruction

Hemocue Hb and WBC

• Hemocue risk assessment

Haematology QEUH

• Haemochrom risk assessment
• Rotem risk assessment
• Verify Now risk assessment

POCT Contact Information

• Chairperson NHSGGC POCT Committee: Andrew Kerry, Consultant Clinical Scientist, Royal Alexandra Hospital

Biochemistry Contact Information

• Clyde Sector email address: Clyde.BiochemistryPOCT@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• North Sector email address: NorthGlasgow.BiochemistryPOCT@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• South Sector email address: SouthGlasgow.BiochemistryPOCT@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Haematology Contact Information

• Clyde Sector: Robert Anderson, Quality, Training and POCT Manager, RAH – Robert.Anderson3@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• North Sector: Kevin Marriott, Quality, Training and POCT Manager, GRI – Kevin.Marriott@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
• South Sector: Linsay Thomson, Quality, Training and POCT Manager, QEUH – Linsay.Thomson@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Virology Contact Information

• Sally Taylor, Technical Manager, GRI – Sally.Taylor@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

POCT Support Information

Please contact the relevant laboratory discipline in your sector if you are considering introducing a new POCT service in your area. Staff will be happy to talk you through the process and direct you to the paperwork required prior to approval and introduction of any service. As a first step we would encourage you to read the POCT policy and POCT checklist.

No new POCT service will be introduced or supported by the committee unless the POCT checklist is completed and signed off.

POCT Useful Documentation

• NHSGGC POCT Policy https://www.nhsggc.scot?p=88982
• NHSGGC POCT Checklist https://www.nhsggc.scot/downloads/nhsggc-poct-checklist-2/
• Glucose meter checklist for new users
• For a reprint of an existing barcode please email the biochemistry contact for you sector
• Ketone meter checklist for new users
• Blood gas (GEM 5000) checklist for new users

What is Internal Quality Control?

Internal quality control (IQC) involves analysis of control material of known concentration within predefined limits. This ensures the quality of the results produced prior to reporting any patient results from the POCT device

What is External Quality Assurance?

External Quality Assurance (EQA) involves analysis of a sample of unknown value from an external, independent source. The results are scrutinised by the EQA scheme provider and allow comparison of results across multiple sites. Participation in EQA allows monitoring of performance and possible early detection of a systematic problem with analysis of patient samples.

Any site wishing to introduce a new POCT service must enrol in a recognised EQA scheme.

Audit

The POCT team will perform audit of the service and provide feedback to the service lead. The audit outcomes and any corrective and preventative action are documented in the laboratory quality management system.

The NHSGGC Point of Care Testing (POCT) committee meets bi-annually with the aim of policy-making and review of sector POCT groups. The committee also includes Primary Care representation with the aim of guiding appropriate POCT governance in the community. The POCT Co-ordinators management group meets quarterly, with multidisciplinary representation and includes user representation where appropriate. The group focus on implementation and monitoring of POCT activity within each sector.

If you use POCT in your clinical area you must ensure your device is registered with the NHSGGC POCT committee.

What is Point of Care Testing (POCT) Testing?

Point of Care testing is defined as ‘Diagnostic testing that is performed near to or at the site of patient care with the result leading to a possible change in the care of the patient.*’ This normally takes place in a non-laboratory setting by appropriately trained non-laboratory staff.

• ISO 227870: 2016 Point of Care Testing (POCT) – Requirements for Quality and Competence.

Point of Care Testing (POCT) Services Offered in NHSGGC

Please note, not all services are available in all sectors.

Further Information and Resources

• WoSSVC Request Form for written completion. (For use where TrakCare is unavailable within NHSGGC and for all external users).
• WoSSVC SARS CoV-2 Request Form for written completion. (For use where TrakCare is unavailable within NHSGGC and for all external users).
• WoSSVC DBS Request Form for written completion. Only for use with Dried Blood Spot samples.
• WoSSVC Influenza Sequencing Request Form
• WoSSVC HBV Health Care Worker Request Form
• Integrated guidance for management of BBV in HCW
• WoSSVC HCV Resistance Request Form
• WoSSVC HIV Resistance Request Form
• WoSSVC HIV Tropism Request Form

The West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre (WoSSVC) is a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited medical laboratory No. 9319. A full list of accredited tests can be found on our schedule of accreditation.

Please note users will be informed if an assay/result lies outside the laboratory’s scope of accreditation.

WoSSVC is located at Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) and is part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

You can contact us by emailing west.ssvc2@nhs.scot or by telephone: 0141 201 8722 (38722 if located in NHSGGC). For out of hours clinical advice call the Switchboard on 0141 211 1000 (1000 internal) and ask for the on-call virologist.

Further Information

The Clinical Genetics department is situated on Level 2A of the Laboratory Medicine Building of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. The staff of the Clinical Genetics Department see increasing numbers of patients and their families every year at general genetics clinics, cancer genetic clinics and other specialist genetic clinics.

These clinics are held within the department clinic area on level 1A, at other Glasgow hospitals or for some conditions, at a number of community locations throughout the West of Scotland, including Kilmarnock, Wishaw, Ayr, Larbert and Dumfries. We also offer virtual appointments by video or telephone where appropriate, or may reply by letter.

Further Information

General enquiries

• Call: 0141 354 9200 or 0141 354 9300
• Email: ggc.geneticssecretaries@ggc.nhs.scot

Cancer genetics enquiries

• Email: cancer.genetics@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Prenatal genetics enquiries

• Email: ggc.wosprenatalteam@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Referrals

Referrals should be made to the department by:

SCI-Gateway “Clinical Genetics” email: genetics.referrals@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

• SMRSARL Telephone: 0141 242 9633
• Email: ggc.glasgowsmrl@nhs.scot

The Scottish MRSA Reference Laboratory (SMRSARL) was established in April 1997. We were created in response to a rapid increase in the number of MRSA infections identified in hospitals across Scotland. We are commissioned by National Services Division for Scotland, with clinical and scientific advice from Public Health Scotland (PHS) . Since November 2013, the Scottish MRSA Reference Laboratory has been located within the New Lister Building, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The SMRSARL provides a national MRSA reference service for isolates from diagnostic laboratories throughout Scotland. The services we provide include: confirmation of MRSA status, detection of various toxin genes and epidemiological typing of strains. We also provide advice on infection control issues and have an ongoing research and development program. We collaborate with PHS to provide data on the national trends in MRSA epidemiology in Scotland.