Congratulations to our Diagnostic Cytology Team on their recent Royal College of Pathologists (PCPath) Achievement Award. RCPath Achievement Awards are given to teams who demonstrate excellence in pathology practise and promote high standards in pathology education, training and research to deliver the best patient care. The 2025 Achievement Awards celebrates excellence in pathology service provision […]
Continue reading...The method of examination for PVSA specimens has been updated. The cytology department is now using Large Volume Fixed Depth (LVFD) slides for sample examination. This method avoids the need for centrifugation and has been shown to give a comparable spermatozoa detection level. This change is in place from 23rd June 2025. There is no […]
Continue reading...Please see the link below for the latest updates on the following items from recent GP-Pathology Liaison meetings. Please note that there are no newsletter updates for the March 2025 meeting: 1. Improving GP Specimen Transport 2. Microbiology eConsult on ICE 3. Searching for tests on ICE 4. Primary Care Fertility Guidelines 5. Requesting Fertility […]
Continue reading...GP consultation to Microbiology for clinical advice through ICE. This process will replace the Microconsultants email (except for patients without an NHS number) from 30th September 2024. Please click here for guidance on how to raise an e-consult through ICE.
Continue reading...Many thanks to our clinical team for completing the Cytology, Histology and Mortuary User Surveys for 2024. For feedback from the Mortuary user survey, please contact the mortuary directly. Cytology User Survey A total of 11 survey responses were received (73% users) Comments on overall support and contribution from the cytology team: Overall an excellent […]
Continue reading...All departments are currently working towards accreditation for the new ISO15189:2022 standards. We anticipate that our schedules will be updated to reflect our accreditation once we have successfully transitioned.
Continue reading...We are pleased to announce that following the recent Pathology-GP Liaison meeting in June, we have restarted our newsletter! Please see the link below for latest updates on the following items: 1. CA125 Requesting & Best Practice 2. FIT & Calprotectin: Avoiding Delays 3. New Bariatric Order Sets 4. Change requests for ICE 5. Use […]
Continue reading...We are delighted to inform you that we have added qFIT requests into ICE for RD&E AND NDDH facing practices. With immediate effect, we will invoke the new pathway for qFIT testing and from this point onwards, we will supply only the blue sample picker device to practices. Full kits with postal return envelopes will […]
Continue reading...This week we’re celebrating Healthcare Science Week, which is dedicated to raising awareness of healthcare science and celebrating the variety of professions available. The Royal Devon is home to a fantastic team of healthcare scientists from a wide range of different specialties. From cardiology to genetics, diabetes to paediatrics, healthcare science has a diverse workforce and […]
Continue reading...Dear Colleague, The Blood Sciences Department at the RDUH will be changing the laboratory equipment used to analyse Faecal Calprotectin to the Mast OC Sensor Pledia from the 26th of February 2024. The new methodology uses a sample collection picker (similar to FIT testing) that significantly increases sample stability, patient convenience and test accuracy. The […]
Continue reading...Dear Primary Care Colleagues, We would like to remind you that further to our previous communication on 24/10/23, Beckton Dickinson discontinued manufacturing Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) tubes. The Trust pathology stores no longer provides ESR tubes for use in primary care. We understand that some surgeries have made the decision to continue to offer in-house […]
Continue reading...Thank you to all who participated in this survey during 22/09/2023 and 13/10/2023, there were 52 respondents. 98% of respondents would recommend the laboratory to a colleague.
Continue reading...The cellular pathology user survey is run annually to collate feedback, comments and suggestions from the users of the Cytopathology, Histopathology and Mortuary services at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Four user surveys were sent out in July 2023 for 4 weeks – ‘General Cellular pathology’, ‘ROSE clinic’, ‘PVSA’ and ‘Mortuary funeral directors’. All […]
Continue reading...From 21st September 2023 Microbiology consults made via Epic or emails via Microconsultants will now be answered from 0900-1630 Monday-Friday. Consults made outside of these times will not receive a same day response. Microbiology consults should contain the following information: Summary: Presenting complaint, history of presenting complaint, duration of admission, abx given & […]
Continue reading...The Virology Department at RDE will be ceasing all Anti-DNase B testing on the 17th November 2023. We will continue to test for Anti-streptolysin O antibodies. BioMérieux are stopping the commercialisation of the ASD ANTIBODY TESTING KIT, and there is no alternative on the market within Europe. We have received a notification stating the […]
Continue reading...For the attention of PVSA service users: New request forms and instructions for patients at Eastern and Northern services available HERE.
Continue reading...From March 2023 the management of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) has transferred to Pharmacy. Please contact pharmacy for all enquiries relating to IVIg. The transfusion laboratory is now responsible only for issue of IVIg for acute cases out of hours under the direction of a pharmacist.
Continue reading...The cellular pathology department asked its private requestors for user feedback. Thank you to those who responded. The feedback and outcomes are below: EPIC access You said Would be great to have access to EPIC for all disciplines Getting EPIC access for reports and results for all disciplines We said We will discuss this with […]
Continue reading...Cytology has updated the PVSA request form. The new version (07) can be found on the PVSA page Please print this form for any PVSA request going forward.
Continue reading...Thank you to all who participated in this survey during October 2022. 100% of respondents would recommend the laboratory to a colleague. When asked: How might the cellular pathology service be improved? You said: ‘Improve turn around time, perhaps provide weekend service’ ‘Aim to complete reporting in house wherever possible since quality is generally much […]
Continue reading...
