Contacting us: FAQs

During working hours:

• Telephone HODS specimen reception: 01223 217132 for samples expected the same day

• Or email add-tr.HODS@nhs.net

Please state the urgency clearly (for example, if a result needs to be telephoned back urgently).

Out of hours:

• Clinicians should contact the HODS consultant on call via CUH switchboard

Please telephone HODS specimen reception: 01223 217132

Please note it is essential to contact the laboratory during working hours if the sample was not notified in advance as urgent.

If you are enquiring about a solid tissue sample other than a bone marrow trephine biopsy and are not calling from CUH, it is worth first checking that the sample has been received into HODS and is registered on Epic.

• If the sample is not registered on Epic, please contact your local histopathology laboratory.

• If the sample has been received into HODS, please email add-tr.HODS@nhs.net with the relevant additional information.

The specimen reception team will identify from Epic which consultant the case has been assigned to and pass on the information or, for an unassigned case, will pass the information on once assigned.

This is more reliable than emailing individual consultants directly.

Please also see our expected turnaround times, including the section on Workflow of bone marrow trephine biopsies.

Please note that, in general, laboratory processing of trephine biopsies cannot be sped up regardless of urgency. However, it may still be helpful to identify urgent cases to the pathologist so that reporting can be prioritised once processing is complete.

It is not usually helpful to enquire about the status of non-urgent samples that have not yet reached turnaround time, unless you need to discuss the clinical details with the reporting pathologist.

Turnaround times (TATs) start on receipt of the sample into HODS. This can be identified in Epic Chart as follows:

Bone marrow trephine biopsy and CUH tissue biopsies

Use the Received date at the bottom of the HODS Haematopathology test on the Chart.

If no Collection date is present and a Received date is not shown, please use the method below for other solid tissue biopsies.

Referred (non-CUH) solid tissue biopsies

Use the sample date shown in the Lab Reports view of the Chart under the HODS filter.

For a bone marrow or tissue sample on which the morphology has been reported, please email the primary reporting consultant (the first consultant named on the report, if more than one is listed).

For peripheral blood samples, HODS consultants do not generally make test requests unless additional advice is needed.

Please email the genomics laboratory directly:

• Molecular tests: cuh.eastglh-haemonc-molecular@nhs.net

• Cytogenetic tests: cuh.eastglh-haemonc-cyto@nhs.net

Current contact details are also available on the East Genomics website.

For tests on liquid samples, please email the genomics laboratory directly:

Molecular tests: cuh.eastglh-haemonc-molecular@nhs.net

Cytogenetic tests: cuh.eastglh-haemonc-cyto@nhs.net

For tests on solid tissue samples, please email:

HODS specimen reception: add-tr.HODS@nhs.net

Primary reporting pathologist

These results must be integrated into the report by the pathologist before they are visible to the clinician.

The quickest route is to contact the Histopathology Archive team, who will obtain authorisation from the responsible pathologist.

Email: add-tr.histopathologyarchive@nhs.net