Pathology Services
Pathology is the study of diseases, focusing on the causes, development and progression of disease and how the body is affected. Pathology is involved in approximately 70% of all diagnoses made in the NHS. We have a number of laboratories performing a variety of tests and procedures for both our Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital patients.
Find out more about the services we offer at both of our hospitals
Women's Hospital services
Pathology Services at Birmingham Women’s Hospital comprise the departments of Clinical Chemistry, Cellular Pathology (Histopathology, perinatal pathology and Andrology) and Haematology and Transfusion. The hospital is located on the University campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham and provides a range of specialised health care services to more than 50,000 women, men and families each year.
Children's Hospital services
Pathology Services at Birmingham Children’s Hospital comprises the departments of Blood Sciences (Clinical Chemistry, Haematology and Transfusion), Histopathology, Microbiology and Newborn Screening and Biochemical Genetics. The Children’s Hospital is based in the city centre and is a leading UK specialist paediatric centre, offering expert care to 90,000 children and young people from across the country every year.
Our team
All departments employ highly qualified, experienced staff, including clinicians, clinical scientists, biomedical scientists, medical laboratory assistants and administrative staff in providing a quality diagnostic service to a wide range of users. The laboratory provides support to clinicians to ensure appropriate investigations are requested and provide appropriate interpretation and clinical advice to ensure the highest quality of care is delivered.
As a department, we are continually developing and improving the service for the investigation and diagnosis of disease. It is our mission to provide an outstanding service, to share and spread new knowledge and practice and to always be at the forefront of what is possible.
Key contacts
Laboratory Director and Pathology Services Manager
Darren Redfern
0121 333 9835
darren.redfern@nhs.net
Quality Manager
Michael Chorlton
0121 333 9919 (Children's)
0121 472 1377 ext. 5528 (Women's)
michael.chorlton1@nhs.net
| Department | Contact number |
|---|---|
| Women's Hospital | |
|
Haematology |
0121 472 1377 Ext 5518 |
|
Blood Transfusion |
0121 472 1377 Ext 5551 |
|
Clinical Chemistry |
0121 472 1377 Ext 5532 |
|
Cellular Pathology |
0121 472 1377 Ext 5520 |
|
Andrology Patient Access Team |
0121 335 8100 |
|
Cytology Training School |
0121 472 1377 1377 |
| Children's Hospital | |
|
Diagnostic Haematology |
0121 333 9867 |
|
Blood Transfusion |
0121 333 9874 |
|
Specialist Coagulation |
0121 333 9869 |
|
Clinical Chemistry |
0121 333 9912 |
|
Histopathology |
0121 333 9833 |
|
Microbiology |
0121 333 9802 |
|
NSBG Screening |
0121 333 9900 |
|
NSBG IMD |
0121 333 9942 |
|
Research and Development |
0121 333 9921 |
Opening hours
| Department | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Women's Hospital | |
| Haematology | Open 24/7 |
| Clinical Chemistry |
Open Monday — Friday 09:00 - 17:15 with last receipt of samples at 16:45. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Cellular Pathology |
Open Monday — Friday 07:30 - 16:00. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Andrology |
Open Monday — Friday 08:00 - 16:00. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Mortuary |
Open Monday — Friday 09:30 - 14:30. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Children's Hospital | |
| Haematology | Open 24/7 |
| Clinical Chemistry | Open 24/7 |
| Histopathology |
Open Monday — Friday 08:45 - 17:15. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Microbiology |
Open Monday — Friday 08:30 - 20:00. Open Saturday — Sunday, and bank holidays, 08:30 - 17:00 No routine Microbiology service outside stated hours |
| NSBG |
Open Monday — Friday 09:00 - 17:00. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Research and Development |
Open Monday — Friday 09:00 - 17:00. No service outside stated hours or on bank holidays. |
| Mortuary |
Open Monday — Friday 09:00 - 17:00. For service outside stated hours contact the on-call clinical co-ordinators via switchboard. |
Availability of clinical advice
If you wish to ask for clinical advice on ordering examinations or discuss the interpretation of the examination results, please contact the relevant department.
User feedback
Pathology Services encourages all users to provide feedback (compliments or complaints) about the services provided by Pathology. Communications can be made verbally or in writing to the Pathology Services Manager, Quality Manager or other members of our team.
If our services have failed to meet your expectations, we aim to investigate your concerns in a timely manner and provide feedback about the outcomes of your complaint in line with the Trust’s complaints policy.
If you feel your concerns have not been put right, you can make a formal complaint.
Health and safety
The department complies with the Health and Safety at Work Act and seeks to ensure the safety of all personnel and visitors within Pathology
In the event of a sample-related health and safety issue occurring outside the Pathology Department, e.g. spillage of a sample, please contact the relevant department immediately for further information.
Non-NHS staff must not attempt to remove or clear up sample spillages.
Data protection
The department complies with the Trust policies relating to the handling, use and protection of personal information
- We only ask for information that we need to allow interpretation of results
- We protect the information and ensure only those staff who need to see the information can access it
- We share the information only when we need to for patient cases, for example, sending the information to another laboratory for testing
- We retain data in accordance with industry best practices – see Royal College of Pathologist Retention and storage of Pathological Records and Specimens (6th Edition) published October 2025.
- We do not store any data for any longer than is absolutely necessary.
Guidance notes
The above information is required by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Article 28(3)) which required data processing agreements to include details of the subject-matter, duration, nature and purpose of the processing and the type of personal data and categories of data subjects involved in the data processing.
Maintaining Quality in Pathology
Pathology services at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Licence number: 120011) recognise its responsibility as a provider of quality services.
Pathology has developed and documented a quality management system to help satisfy the needs of its users and to improve the management of the organisation. The quality system complies with relevant regulatory, accreditation and contractual requirements as well as best practice guidelines. Compliance is maintained through conducting self-inspections and assessments by external agencies.
Any additional service user feedback about our services is welcomed and should be brought to the attention of the Quality Manager – see key contacts.
Maintaining Quality in our Laboratory
Laboratories below are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and comply with ISO 15189.
- Haematology at BWH (Accreditation number 10259)
- Cellular Pathology at BWH (Accreditation number 10259)
- Diagnostic Andrology at BWH (Accreditation number 10259)
- Histopathology at BCH (Accreditation number 9890)
- Microbiology at BCH (Accreditation number 9896)
- Blood Sciences at BCH (Accreditation number 9899) — includes Haematology and Chemistry
- Newborn Screening and Biochemical Genetics at BCH (Accreditation number 9948)
For details of which tests are accredited within each department, please search for our schedule of accreditation on the UKAS website. Tests conducted within our laboratories which do not appear on our schedule are not UKAS accredited but are performed by the same trained and competent staff.
Maintaining Quality in our Blood Bank
The blood banks below are approved and regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and follow relevant legislation.
- Blood transfusion at BWH (Licence number 0295)
- Blood transfusion at BCH (Licence number 0293)
Maintaining Quality in our Mortuary
Mortuaries below are approved and regulated by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and follows relevant codes of practice.
- Cellular Pathology at BWH (License number 12565)
- Histopathology at BCH (License number 12132)