Services A to Z

Pre-Surgery General Information

• Knee Osteoarthritis
• Managing a Painful Knee
• Knee Meniscal Cartilage Injury
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Post Surgery Information

• Physiotherapy following ACL reconstruction
• ACL repair with internal brace
• Total knee replacement

Additional / External Resources

• Osteoarthritis of the knee
• Acute Knee Exercise Booklet
• Full ACL reconstruction rehabilitation programme (opens on a new page – Non-NHS site*)

NOTE: *your physiotherapist will provide you with a password in order to access this programme.

Knee Exercise Videos

Pre-Surgery General Information

• Total Hip Replacement Information
• Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip
• Corticosteroid Injection

Pre-Surgery General Information

• Big Toe Conditions
• Preparing for Foot & Ankle Surgery
• Corticosteroid Injections

Pre-Surgery General Information

• Anterior Deltoid Strengthening Exercises
• Shoulder Trauma Rehab
• Calcification of the Shoulder
• Information about Shoulder Fractures
• Corticosteroid Injection

Pre-Surgery General Information

• Tennis Elbow
• Elbow Exercises for Stiffness
• Olecranon Bursitis
• Corticosteroid Injection

Post-Surgery Information

• Cubital Tunnel Post-op Information

Pre-Surgery

• Thumb Osteoarthritis Information
• Ganglion Cyst Information
• Mucoid Cyst Information
• Dupuytren’s Information
• De Quervain’s Information
• Carpal Tunnel Information
• Trigger Finger Information
• Corticosteroid Injection

Post Surgery

• Dupuytren’s Post-Op Information
• De Quervain’s Post-Op Information
• Trigger Finger Post-Op Information
• Carpal Tunnel Post-Op Information
• Cubital Tunnel Post-Op Information
• Trapeziectomy Post-Op Information

Note: Patients are not expected to attend Virtual Clinic appointments.

The Orthopaedic Consultant and Nurse will look at your notes and x-ray(s) and contact you with advice. This might be an appointment to come to the clinic or phone advice and discharge with the option to call back anytime for further advice or an appointment.

It is helpful if you give the staff in the Emergency Department your most up-to-date phone number and remember the call may come from a 0800 number.

Following assessment you may be sent a letter with one of the following leaflets:

• Shoulder Active Assisted Exercises
• Shoulder Pendulum Exercises 
• Clavicle Fracture
• Ankle and Foot Injuries
• Isolated Weber A – Stable Ankle Fracture
• Mallet Finger complete
• Metacarpal Fracture Discharge Advice
• Metatarsal and Phalangeal Fractures
• Radial Head Fracture
• (Child’s) Torus Discharge Advice
• Volar Plate Leaflet

• (PFB LINES) Patient Focused Booking: 0141 201 3105 and 0141 201 3114
• Return Appointments: 0141 201 3105 and 0141 201 3114
• Medical Advice (current patients only): 0141 201 6416
• Pre-Operative Assessment (appointments): 0141 201 3721
• Outpatient Waiting List Coordinator / Admin Supervisor: 0141 201 3736
• MSK Oncology / Admin Supervisor: 0141 201 3737

• Orthopaedic Outpatient Email: GRI.OrthopaedicOutpatients@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Very simply, Patient Focused Booking (PFB) puts patients at the heart of the booking process by engaging them in dialogue about their appointment. Previously, patients would be sent an appointment letter, with the date and time of their appointment, no matter how far ahead in time that may have been. When the appointment day came, patients may have no longer required the consultation, may have forgotten to turn up or booked clinics may have been cancelled.

With PFB, patients are sent an invitation letter, inviting them to telephone or email the hospital to arrange a suitable date and time for an appointment within current guarantee time guidelines. The process is complemented by a policy that prevents a clinic being cancelled with less than six weeks’ notice. Therefore, when the patient phones or emails, the appointment options are limited to only those clinics scheduled in the next few weeks (non-routine patients are clinically prioritised to by-pass this process and will always be seen first).

The call operator offers a choice of dates and times and the patient chooses the most convenient to them. After a period of 7 days, if the patient fails to phone a reminder letter will be sent, after checking contact details, if the patient fails to respond to the reminder letter after a period of 7 days a further letter is sent to the patient and their GP, explaining that they have been removed from the waiting list.

Glasgow Royal Infirmary

• Ward 61: 0141 201 5842
• Ward 62: 0141 201 5846
• Wards 26/27: 0141 201 1193
• Same Day Admission Unit (Reception): 0141 201 5370/1

Stobhill Ambulatory Care Hospital

Day Surgery Unit (Reception): 0141 355 1329

Knee and Trauma Reconstruction / Common ACL
Mr C Drury, Mr A MacLean
Tracey Wilson 201 3723

Specialist Knee
Mr B Jones, Mr Paul Jenkins
Denise Fisher 201 3718

Common Knee & Trauma
Mr A Shaw, Mr Phelan
Toni Docherty 201 3731

Common / Specialist Foot
Mr C Kumar, Mr M Blyth
Debbie Clearie 201 3751

Foot & Ankle
Mr Evan Crane, Miss N.J. Madeley
Kirsten Rennie 201 3719

Hand & Wrist
Mr I McGraw, Mr G Sianos
Samantha Lepkowski 201 3750

Upper Limb / Common Shoulder
Mr A Brooksbank, Mr Cameron Elias-Jones
Kirstie Stirling 201 3734

Hip Specialist / Common Hip
Mr A Stark, Mr K Bryceland
Linda West 201 3733

Oncology
Mr A Mahendra, Mr S Gupta
Megan Young 201 3166

https://youtu.be/0NMHMX-nFgY

Reproduced here with kind permission of NHS GRAMPIAN

• Shoulder Trauma Leaflet (New)
• Shoulder Active Assisted Exercises
• Shoulder Pendular Exercises
• Foot and Ankle Exercises
• Foot and Ankle Injuries
• Stable Ankle Fracture (Weber A)
• Hand (5th Metacarpal)
• Mallet Finger Injury
• Metatarsal and Phalangeal Fractures
• Radial Head Neck Fractures
• Knee Exercises
• Volar Plate Leaflet
• Torus Discharge Advice (child)
• Clavicle Fracture (child)

• Pre-op Self-Isolation advice

• X-ray examination advice
• Corticosteroid injection information

Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) is a 39 amino acid peptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary, under the control of the hypothalamic peptide, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). ACTH secretion is pulsatile and exhibits diurnal variation, with highest plasma concentrations around 8am and lowest levels at midnight. It stimulates glucocorticoid (cortisol) production in the adrenal cortex.

ACTH measurement is only useful as a second line investigation following the finding of either cortisol deficiency or excess.

In cortisol deficiency due to primary adrenal failure, ACTH will be raised due to lack of negative feedback. ACTH will be low in adrenal insufficiency secondary to pituitary failure (hypopituitarism).

Excessive production of cortisol accompanied by suppressed ACTH may be seen in Cushing’s syndrome due to adrenal tumours/hyperplasia, and with exogenous glucocorticoid administration.
Cortisol excess with raised ACTH may be seen in ACTH-producing tumours of the pituitary (Cushing’s disease) or other tissues e.g. lungs (ectopic ACTH production).

NB. ACTH secretion may be increased by stress.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Plasma
• Container: EDTA
• Precautions: Separate and freeze plasma within 4 hours of sample collection. Transport frozen. Timing of collection important. Avoid stress. Haemolysed specimen unsuitable.
• Minimum Volume: 1 mL
• Reference Range: Not applicable
• Turnaround Time: 7 days
• Method: Siemens Immulite
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a protein produced by granulosa cells of the ovaries in females and by Sertoli cells of the testes in males.

In women serum AMH concentration increases with age up until the mid-twenties, after which it begins to decline. AMH correlates well with the number of follicles in the ovary (as measured by ultrasound) in women over the age of 25 and its measurement is used to individualise fertility treatment.

In men serum AMH concentration tends to be high in childhood, then declines through puberty to low levels in adulthood. It is used in the investigation of cryptorchidism and anorchidism.

AMH is elevated in the majority of patients with granulosa cell tumours and may be used to monitor disease progression or recurrence. AMH is also useful in the investigation of disorders of sex development as a marker of testicular activity.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum
• Container: SST
• Precautions: Separate serum and send via first class post. If there will be >48 h before sending store the specimen at -20°C. Sample can be sent at ambient temperature.
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range:
  • Females: <50 pmol/L in young adults (falls steadily towards menopause where it becomes undetectable)
  • Males (Levels fall at puberty. These ranges were derived from a study where stage of puberty was not determined):
    • 0-1yr                390-1300 pmol/L
    • 1-4yr                300-1700 pmol/L
    • 5-8yr                260-1200 pmol/L
    • 9-12yr              100-1000 pmol/L
    • 13-16yr            40-560 pmol/L
    • 17-20yr    <520 pmol/L
    • Adults             <100 pmol/L (literature value)

• Turnaround Time: 14 days
• Method: Beckman Access
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Growth hormone (GH) is a peptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary. Its main action is to stimulate the production and release of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by the liver. Excessive secretion causes acromegaly, while deficiency causes failure of growth in children and metabolic problems in adults.

The secretion of GH is very episodic, so random measurement is rarely useful diagnostically.

Failure of GH to suppress during a glucose tolerance test is diagnostic for acromegaly.

Stimulation tests, such as an insulin tolerance test (NB. potentially dangerous, should only be carried out in centres experienced in it) or stimulation with arginine, GHRH/arginine or glucagon, can be carried out to test for insufficiency. GH deficiency may occur as part of a more general deficiency of pituitary hormones, so other hormones are often measured at the same time.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum
• Container: SST
• Precautions: None
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range:
  • Random GH:
    • > 10 μg/L excludes GH deficiency
    • < 0.4 μg/L excludes acromegaly
  • Severe Growth Hormone Deficiency:
    • Adults Peak GH during ITT                           < 3 μg/L 
    • Adults Peak GH with GHRH/Arginine           < 5 μg/L 
    • Children Peak GH during provocation          < 5 μg/L 
  • GH Excess:
    • Failure to suppress during OGTT                 < 1 μg/L 
    • Mean integrated 24hr GH                             > 1.7 μg/L 

• Turnaround Time: 7 days
• Method: IDS iSYS
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a peptide hormone, very similar to insulin. It is a major growth factor, which is synthesised by most cells and tissues. Circulating IGF-1 is produced by the liver in response to growth hormone (GH). IGF-1 concentration is increased in acromegaly, decreased in growth hormone deficiency and altered in systemic illness and malnutrition.

It is often measured along with growth hormone in the investigation of disorders of GH secretion. It is also used to monitor patients with acromegaly and those on growth hormone therapy.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum
• Container: SST
• Precautions: None
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range:

 Age (yr)      Males (μg/L)     Females (μg/L)

    <2              15 – 157            17 – 151

    2 – 4           28 – 247            25 – 198

    5 – 7           46 – 349            39 – 272

   8 – 10          67 – 442            59 – 371

  11 – 13         89 – 503            82 – 465

  14 – 16         104 – 510          97 – 502

  17 – 25         105 – 410          96 – 417

  26 – 39         81 – 249            72 – 259

  40 – 54         63 – 201            57 – 197

  55 – 65         49 – 191            43 – 170

  65+              39 – 186            35 – 168

• Turnaround Time: 7 days
• Method: IDS iSYS
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Insulin, produced by pancreatic beta cells, regulates glucose uptake and utilization and is involved in protein synthesis and triglyceride storage. It is often measured alongside C-peptide.

Clinical uses of insulin measurements:

1. Evaluation of possible insulinoma: In cases of hypoglycaemia, diagnosis of insulinoma relies on proving inappropriate secretion of insulin during a hypoglycaemic episode.
2. Hypoglycaemia of infancy due to hyperinsulinaemia.
3. Diagnosis of factitious hypoglycaemia together with measurement of C-peptide.
4. Discrimination of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Insulin and C-peptide concentrations are generally low in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, and either normal or elevated in early type 2 diabetes, and decreased in later stages.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Plasma
• Container: Lithium heparin
• Precautions: Collect after overnight fast or during symptomatic hypoglycaemia, together with glucose sample. Separate and freeze plasma within 4 hours of sample collection. Transport frozen. Haemolysed specimens unsuitable. For hypoglycaemic screen, only measure when hypoglycaemic (glucose <2.6 mmol/L). 
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range: Not applicable
• Turnaround Time: 7 days
• Method: Abbott Alinity
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Insulin C-peptide (connecting peptide), a 31 amino acid polypeptide, represents the midportion of proinsulin. During insulin secretion it is enzymatically cleaved from proinsulin and co-secreted in equimolar proportion with mature insulin. The half life of C-peptide is significantly longer than insulin, so it is detectable in higher concentrations and the level less variable. C-peptide is often a more reliable marker than insulin. In addition, insulin is destroyed by proteases in haemolysed samples, while C-peptide is not.

Clinical uses:

1. Insulinoma: Elevated C-peptide levels from increased beta-cell activity.
2. Covert self-administration of insulin: Can be virtually ruled out as cause of hyperinsulinaemia by finding elevated C-peptide.
3. Type 1 diabetes mellitus: Low C-peptide levels due to diminished insulin secretion, or suppressed as a normal response to exogenous insulin. Patients on insulin can develop anti-insulin antibodies which can interfere with insulin assay, so C-peptide can be used instead to check residual beta-cell activity.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Plasma
• Container: Lithium heparin
• Precautions: Collect after overnight fast. Separate and freeze plasma. Transport frozen.
• Minimum Volume: 1 mL
• Reference Range: Not applicable
• Turnaround Time: 7 days
• Method: Siemens Immulite
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Prolactin exists in various forms including the monomeric biologically active form (23kDa) and a higher molecular weight form, bound most commonly to IgG, known as macroprolactin (>100kDa). Macroprolactin lacks biological activity but can interfere in standard prolactin immunoassays and is a “common” cause of hyperprolactinaemia (overall prevalence 1.5%). Its presence is determined by recovery of prolactin following precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG screening test).

Macroprolactin should be requested in cases of persistently raised prolactin >700 mU/L (on two or more occasions) in euthyroid patients and after excluding drug associated hyperprolactinaemia. PEG screening can identify macroprolactin and determine the concentration of monomeric (bioactive) prolactin, as both may coincide.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum
• Container: SST
• Precautions: None
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range:
  • Macroprolactin is reported as positive or negative based on  percentage recovery of monomeric (bioactive) prolactin after PEG  precipitation to remove macroprolactin:
    • Post-PEG recovery <40% – macroprolactin detected
    • Post-PEG recovery >60% – macroprolactin negative
    • Post-PEG recovery 40 – 60% – equivocal recovery

• Turnaround Time: 7 days
• Method: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation to precipitate macroprolactin followed by Abbott Alinity immunoanalyser to quantify monomeric prolactin.
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Parathyroid hormone (PTH), a polypeptide containing 84 amino acids, is secreted by the chief cells of the parathyroid glands. It has a molecular weight of 9.4 kDa. PTH should be measured in the investigation of unexplained hypercalcaemia or hypocalcaemia. PTH should always be interpreted in light of the serum adjusted calcium concentration and the patient’s renal function.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Plasma
• Container: EDTA
• Precautions: Avoid haemolysis
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range: 1.6 – 7.5 pmol/L
• Turnaround Time: 1 day
• Method: Abbott Alinity
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Renin, a proteolytic enzyme, is synthesized by the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney and released in response to decreased blood volume, decreased blood pressure and sodium depletion. Renin stimulates aldosterone release through angiotensin intermediates, resulting in the renal retention of sodium and the excretion of potassium.

Renin is measured with paired aldosterone to calculate an aldosterone/renin ratio in the investigation of hypertension.  

Renin measurement may be useful in monitoring response to therapy in patients with Addison’s disease or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

Beta blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, a restricted salt diet and posture can all affect interpretation of renin results.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Plasma
• Container: EDTA (Lithium heparin unsuitable)
• Precautions: Do not collect on ice. Separate and freeze plasma within 4 hours of sample collection. Transport frozen. Grossly haemolysed or lipaemic samples unsuitable. Posture and relevant drug therapies (see above) may affect interpretation of results.
• Minimum Volume: 500 μL
• Reference Range:
  • Adults (upright): <52 mIU/L
  • Infants <1 year: <450 mIU/L
  • Children 1 – 5 years: <380 mIU/L
  • Children 6 – 15 years: <125 mIU/L

• Turnaround Time: 14 days
• Method: IDS iSYS
• Quality Assurance: UKNEQAS

Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a large 80-100 kDa glycoprotein that functions to transport sex hormones around the body. It has a high affinity for 17β-hydroxy steroids such as testosterone and oestradiol. Concentrations of SHBG are influenced by many factors. SHBG will be increased by elevated concentrations of circulating oestrogens (including the oral contraceptive pill), hyperthyroidism, liver disease and excess alcohol. SHBG will be decreased by increasing body mass index, polycystic ovarian syndrome and hypothyroidism.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum
• Container: SST
• Precautions: None
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range:

Age                       Male (nmol/L)      Female (nmol/L)

 3 – 10 years              45 – 220              50 – 170

 10 – 12 years            22 – 188              38 – 129

 Adult                         13 – 70                20 – 155

• Turnaround Time: 1 day
• Method: Abbott Alinity
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO) antibodies are present in 90-100% of patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the commonest cause of autoimmune hypothyroidism. Anti-TPO is measured in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (TSH 5-12 mIU/L and FT4 within reference limits: 8-21 pmol/L) to identify those at increased risk of developing thyroid failure. The risk of developing hypothyroidism if anti-TPO is positive is approximately 5% per year.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum
• Container: SST
• Precautions: None
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL
• Reference Range: <6 IU/L
• Turnaround Time: 1 day
• Method: Abbott Alinity
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

TSH receptor antibody (TRAB) is measured if the cause of thyrotoxicosis is not clear. It is specific for Graves’ autoimmune disease of thyroid but is not present in all cases. It can be used to distinguish Graves’ disease from toxic multinodular goitre and postpartum or subacute thyroiditis. It is also measured in 3rd trimester of pregnancy, if there is a maternal history of Graves’ disease/thyrotoxicosis, to predict risk of neonatal thyroid problems. It may be helpful in cases of possible “euthyroid” Graves’ ophthalmopathy.

Sample Requirements and Reference Ranges

• Sample Type: Serum (plasma unsuitable)
• Container: SST
• Precautions: Grossly lipaemic samples unsuitable
• Minimum Volume: 2 mL (Neonatal samples: minimum serum volume 200 µL)
• Reference Range:
  • <3.1 U/L – negative
  • ≥3.1 U/L – positive

• Turnaround Time: 14 days
• Method: Abbott Alinity
• Quality Assurance: UK NEQAS

Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI)

The laboratory is located in the MacEwen Building on Alexandra Parade (adjacent to A and E). It provides routine service Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm and on Saturday between 9.00am and 12.00pm. An emergency service operates at all times.

Gartnavel General Hospital (GGH)

The main laboratory is at GGH (in the Laboratory Block of the GGH Complex). This laboratory provides routine and emergency services Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm. Between 5.00pm and 7.30pm samples can be sent via the pneumatic tube system, these will be diverted to the porter’s room and sent regularly to GRI for analysis. This service stops at 7.30pm, all samples collected after this time should be sent via taxi to the laboratories at GRI. This taxi should be organised locally at ward level. Any samples sent in the pneumatic tube system after 7.30pm may remain un-analysed until the next day.

New Stobhill Hospital

A small satellite laboratory is located on Level 1 and operates Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm.

Enquiries (9.00am until 5.00pm)

There is a central reporting office located at GRI which covers the three North Glasgow laboratory sites.

Duty Biochemist/General Enquiries 0141 242 9500 (x.29500)

Enquiries (Out of Hours)

Contact the on-call biochemist via switchboard 0141 211 4000

Emergency Laboratories (24/7)

Glasgow Royal Infirmary call 0141 211 4487 (x.24487)

North Glasgow Biochemistry is a medical testing laboratory accredited to ISO 15189:2012 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Our UKAS Medical Accreditation number is 9572. A full list of accredited tests can be found on our schedule of accreditation. Tests not on this list are not accredited; please contact the laboratory for further information if required.

The laboratory participates in external quality assurance schemes where available. Performance details are available upon request. If you wish to provide feedback on the North Glasgow Biochemistry service, please contact our Quality Manager.

The Biochemistry department utilises the Telepath Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and TrakCare.  Due to the limitations of this software, we are currently unable to fully meet the requirements of the UKAS publication GEN-6 – Reference to accreditation and multilateral recognition signatory status.

This publication sets out the requirements of reports/results released by the laboratory to contain the appropriate use of UKAS logos and identify any tests that are accredited and those that are not.  The department have risk assessed this.  Due to the number of analytes that can be listed on a Biochemistry report, the number of tests that are UKAS accredited and the number of auto comments already added, it is agreed by the laboratory management team that an additional auto comment would detract from the clinically relevant comments and potentially could push these onto a second page where they may be missed altogether.  The risk is magnified by the way TrakCare displays results, as any result with a comment has an icon displayed next to it.  If an icon is displayed next to almost every result, the alert loses its impact and may lead to clinicians missing critical icons and comments.

Although we are not able to present this information on our reports, the department’s user’s handbook and website provide full details of our accreditation.

During periods of Trakcare downtime, Biochemistry requests must be made on paper request forms. Request forms can be ordered through PECOS, however a pdf copy of the North Glasgow Biochemistry form is available for download and printing.

North Glasgow Biochemistry Ward User Survey 2023

Audit of Myeloma Screen requesting in Primary Care 2023

Audit of PTH requesting in Primary Care 2021

• Clyde Laboratory Handbook
• Quality Manual
• Centrifuge Requirements in Non-Laboratory areas

• Newsletter 1 – August 2014
• Newsletter 2 – November 2014
• Newsletter 3 – April 2015
• Newsletter 4 – September 2015
• Newsletter 5 – March 2016
• Newsletter 6 – August 2016
• Newsletter 7 – February 2017
• Newsletter 8 – October 2017
• Newsletter 9 – December 2017
• Newsletter 10 – April 2018
• Newsletter 11 – October 2018
• Newsletter Supplemental – QFIT
• Newsletter 12 – February 2019
• Newsletter 13 – July 2019
• Newsletter 14 – December 2019
• Newsletter 15 – February 2020
• Newsletter 16 – July 2020
• Newsletter 17 – December 2020
• Newsletter 18 – October 2021
• Newsletter 19 – March 2022
• Newsletter 20 – September 2022
• Newsletter 21 – December 2022
• Newsletter 22 – April 2023
• Newsletter 23 – August 2023
• Newsletter 24 – September 2023
• Newsletter 25 – April 2024
• Newsletter 26 – November 2024
• Newsletter 27 – May 2025

• Primary Care 2017 (2022 coming soon)
• Secondary Care 2021

• Patient identification for patients without CHI (Dec 2018)
• The importance of putting samples in the correct bag for transport to laboratories (Dec 2018)
• Transport bags poster (Dec 2018)
• Transport bags poster (Bute and Dunoon) (Dec 2018)
• Please do not send requests for tests done by other disciplines on Biochemistry / Haematology request forms (Jan 2020)
• QFit for practices not using ICE electronic ordering (Jan 2020)
• Changes to the urine catecholamine and 5HIAA service (GRI memo, Mar 2020)
• Introduction of Active B12 assay (May 2024)
• IFU email add on service (Nov 2024)

• Use of paper request forms when Trakcare not available (Nov 2018)
• Sending samples requested on Trakcare to the laboratory (Nov 2018)
• Cryoglobulin service at Vale of Leven (Nov 2018)
• Barcodes for Point of Care Testing (Nov 2018)
• Urine pregnancy test false positive results (Jul 2019)
• Biochemistry samples apparently being put in Microbiology bags (Aug 2019)
• New P3NP assay (Oct 2019)
• GEM 5000 gas analysers (Nov 19)
• Biochemistry samples apparently being put in Microbiology or Virology bags (Apr 2020)
• IFU email add on service (Nov 2024)
• Request slip for biochemistry add ons – Out of hours only (Oct 2024)