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Virology guide for GPs

The South London Specialist Virology Centre, Infection Sciences, part of Synnovis, is based at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We provide an extensive clinical virology service on virology diagnostics, interpretation of results, anti-viral advice and infection control advice.

The South London Specialist Virology Centre is part of the UK clinical virology network. Infection sciences includes microbiology, virology, parasitology and mycology.

Sample delivery

The Central Specimen Reception (CSR) is in the Blood Sciences Laboratory in the Bessemer Wing at King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS. Samples for any pathology department can be delivered to CSR 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Samples must be sent to Synnovis according to our packaging and transport requirements, as appropriate.

If you have any queries, please contact us as follows:

Weekdays, 9am to 5pm

call 020 3299 6155 for results
call 020 3299 6298 for medical virology advice

Out of hours

call 020 3299 6000 and ask for on call BMS or on call virology medic

 

Hours of business

Weekdays
Full laboratory service, 9am to 5pm
Weekend opening
The virology laboratory is open to deal with essential work only. On call working and weekend working is according to the Virology Laboratory User’s Handbook.

Quality assurance in virology

Laboratory Accreditation

Synnovis King’s College Hospital laboratories are United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited medical laboratories to ISO 15189:2012 Standard.

The South London Specialist Virology Centre is UKAS accredited under the ISO 15189:2012 standards and participates in National Quality Assurance Schemes. The schedule of accredited tests may be found by searching using the accreditation number “9863” on the UKAS website. All non-accredited tests have a comment stating when they are not accredited.

Quality Assessment

All departments take part in extensive programmes of external quality assessment that monitor our methods and results against national standards.

Service improvement and feedback

We value feedback about our service. Please go to the Synnovis customer service page and complete our online feedback form if you have any compliments, complaints or questions.

Virology Laboratory User’s Handbook

Details for the virology service can be accessed within the Virology Laboratory User’s Handbook.