Neuropathology guides for referrers
In May 2021, the Department of Clinical Neuropathology became part of an NHS/industry joint venture. The laboratory operations are now under the management of Synnovis LLP (a partnership between Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts, and SYNLAB UK & Ireland).
As one of the busiest departments of its type in the country, the Department of Clinical Neuropathology has connections with hospitals and scientific institutions in the UK and abroad. Our close association with King’s College London Medical School and our function as a diagnostic referral centre puts us in a unique position to provide a high-quality, wide-ranging diagnostic service and to carry out research into disease of the nervous system.
We also provide clinical diagnosis for the MRC London Brain Bank for Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Please see our services overview about the training and services we offer, as well as protocols and packaging and delivery instructions for various types of biopsies.
Business hours
The department is open from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Check our target turnaround times for each specimen type or contact us for more information about any of our services.
Who can use our service
This service is for consultants at hospitals only. GPs are not able to book this service.
Quality assurance in Neuropathology
Laboratory Accreditation
The department of Clinical Neuropathology is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) (Ref: 8620) to ISO15189 Standards for Medical Laboratories, an internationally recognised accreditation scheme for diagnostic clinical laboratories. The department is regularly assessed by UKAS to demonstrate that the system in place provides a service that meets recognised quality standards. View our schedule of accreditation.
We aim to maintain ISO15189 accreditation for all tests we provide. However, for a limited number of tests this may not always be possible. For example:
- a new test may have accreditation pending
- it may not be cost effective to maintain full accreditation for a very rarely requested test.
If a test that is not ISO15189 accredited has a direct impact on a diagnosis, we clearly state this in the report we provide, along with any interpretative caution. All tests are quality controlled, and external quality assessed where appropriate (see below). We only report on test results if the laboratory is confident of the result.
To ask about tests we can provide that are not on our ISO 15189 schedule of accreditation please contact the department.
Quality assessment
The department takes part in extensive programmes of external quality assessment that monitor our methods and results against national standards.
Tell us your feedback
Your feedback is important in helping us to improve our services. Please email us your comments, complaints or suggestions. Please note this email address is not for service enquiries, referrals, requests or results and is not monitored daily. To contact us about services, tests or results (or if you require a response) please phone 020 3299 1955/1950 (office) or 020 3299 1957 (laboratory).