Unlabelled or inadequately labelled request
forms
Where an unlabelled or inadequately labelled request form is
received with a labelled specimen, the patient information may be
taken from the specimen and written on the request form. The
location of the patient will be identified and contacted in
order to ascertain the test(s) required and any additional
information necessary for completion.
Unlabelled or inadequately labelled specimens
Laboratory staff must not alter or complete specimen labelling.
Unlabelled or inadequately labelled specimens will be rejected.
The rejected specimen cannot be returned to the person who took
the specimen under any circumstances.
Request form and specimen labelling
incompatibility
Where the request form and specimen are labelled differently the
requesting clinician or ward will be informed and a repeat
specimen requested. The specimen and request form will be
discarded.
Specimen and form labeling criteria for Haematology and Clinical
Biochemistry (except blood transfusion specimens and requests).
| |
Essential |
Desirable |
| Sample |
- Surname
- First name or initial
- Date of birth or patient identification (hospital, NHS,
accident and emergency or major incident number)
|
- Signature of the person labelling the tube
- Specimen collection date
|
| Specimens from unconcious patients |
- Identified as unconcious (name unknown)
- Gender
- Unique hospital registration number
|
- Signature of the person labelling the tube
- Specimen collection date
|
| Request form |
- Surname
- First name
- Date of birth or patient identification (hospital, NHS,
accident and emergency or major incident number)
- Gender
- Patient's location and destination for the report
- Patient's consultant, GP, or name of requesting
practitioner
- Investigation(s) required
- Date and time of specimen collection
|
- Clinical information including relevant medication
- Patient's address including postcode
- Practitioner's contact number (extension or bleep number
|
