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Infection Sciences Test Sample Quick Guide

Checked: 19-06-2025 by Jenny Henry Next Review: 19-06-2027

Overview

Please see this quick reference guide for commonly sent samples from primary care. This guide applies to all infection samples sent from primary care in BNSSG. The samples are all processed at NBT.

As part of Infection sciences commitment to improve patient care and environmental sustainability we are reducing rejected specimens. Many rejected specimens are due to incorrect specimen container. This could result in a delay in diagnosis and treatment for patients and leads to unnecessary waste and transport costs.

Sending samples

Please ensure all samples

Are correctly identified with NHS Number/Hospital Number, DoB, Name and site of sampling or specimen type
Contain correct clinical details including FOREIGN TRAVEL, antimicrobial therapy, date, and duration of illness
Have their hazard risk included on all requests (including foreign travel, contact with imported animals and consumption of unpasteurised milk) irrespective of test requested. This information is essential to ensure that the correct laboratory precautions are undertaken when processing specimens. Please contact the Infection sciences laboratory prior to sending samples in patients at risk of high risk organisms. Please see Severn Infection Sciences Handbook for further information.
Go in the correctly coloured bags - Blue for Infection Sciences. Please ensure samples are not leaking.
For electronically requested specimens, attach barcode labels over the tube label, with top of the barcode placed directly below the tube lid. See examples below or Dos and Donts

To request testing kits and tubes please contact pathologyconsumablessouthmead@nbt.nhs.uk

For any other queries or suggestions for improvements relating to the below please email microbiology@nbt.nhs.uk

For a full list of Pathology testing repertoire including turnaround times please see

Test Information | North Bristol NHS Trust (nbt.nhs.uk)

Testing kits and tubes

Contacts and further resources

To request testing kits and tubes please contact: pathologyconsumablessouthmead@nbt.nhs.uk

For any other queries or suggestions for improvements relating to the below please email: microbiology@nbt.nhs.uk

For a full list of Pathology testing repertoire including turnaround times please see
Test Information | North Bristol NHS Trust (nbt.nhs.uk)

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.