Laboratory Genetics

We are committed to continual improvement and value your feedback. If you have any positive or negative experiences you want to share, please contact our Compliance and Resource Programme Manager or Quality Manager.

To log a formal complaint, please refer to the NHS Scotland complaints procedure.

Full details of the service provided by the Laboratory can be found in the Laboratory Users Manual.

A list of all services currently available in Scotland can be found at National Services Scotland (Test Directories).

Full details of the services provided by other Scottish Genomic Network Laboratories, including request forms, can be found on the Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh laboratory websites.

A list of all genomic tests commissioned by NHS England for rare and inherited disorders, and cancer can be found in The National Genomic Test Directory.

Please note due to significant staffing issues and service optimisation, the laboratory is currently experiencing backlogs to the following service(s):

Analysis and reporting for germline chromosome analysis. This includes karyotype analysis for sex chromosome aneuploidies and infertility referrals (01/08/2025).

We endeavour to clear these backlogs as soon as possible. Please continue to contact us to flag urgent cases and we will do our upmost to prioritise. The department is confident that this is a short-term interruption that should be resolved by a number of mitigating actions, including cross-training and active recruitment and we will update further here as soon as possible.

Sending a sample for Genetic testing

Each request accepted by the laboratory for testing is considered an agreement between the user and laboratory. Please see the Terms and Conditions of Service

Sample acceptance criteria / mandatory information

Either a completed request form or a detailed letter must be sent with each patient sample. Forms can also be requested by telephoning the department on 0141 354 9300 or downloaded from the list using ‘Request Forms (Germline and Somatic)’ tab below.

As a minimum, two pieces of patient identifying information must be provided on both the form and the sample container, e.g. name and CHI number. Specimens may be rejected if the form and the sample container do not have the same 2 patient identifiers.

Consent for testing

Discussions regarding testing and/or storage of genetic material is the responsibility of the referring clinician and a summary of clinical consent will be included in the patient’s health record. Consent is implied by submitting the sample for testing to the laboratory.

Further Analysis on Previously Stored Sample

For clinical users that wish to request further genetic testing for patients where we already have an appropriate specimen in the laboratory, the Further Analysis Request Form needs to be filled in. This will automatically send the request to the genetics laboratory. The request will be actioned by the laboratory or someone from the laboratory will contact the referring clinician if there are any issues or if further information is required.

Accreditation and Quality Management

The Laboratory Genetics department is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO 15189:2012 standards. The scope of accredited services are listed within our UKAS schedule of accreditation.

As part of our quality management system and to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our users, we are always keen to receive any comments you may have regarding the quality of the service we provide and would welcome any suggestions on ways in which we might be able to improve the service. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the service, please contact the Quality Manager.

Privacy Statement

In Laboratory Genetics, we use secure cloud-based analysis tools to help us analyse and interpret DNA sequencing results. Please see the NHSGGC Privacy Notice for cloud-based genetic NGS analysis

Request Forms (Germline and Somatic)

Links to Forms

Haemato-oncology send away tests – all referrals for specialist testing must be sent via Laboratory Genetics for processing and forwarding to appropriate test centre

Germline

More information coming soon…

Rare and inherited disease

More information coming soon…

Somatic

More information coming soon…

Haematology Malignancy

More information coming soon…

Cancer (Solid Tumour)

More information coming soon…

Laboratory Genetics forms part of the West of Scotland Centre for Genomic Medicine and is co-located with the Clinical Genetics Service at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. The Laboratory provides a comprehensive diagnostic genetic service for the patients of the West of Scotland (population >2.7 million) and offers specialised testing to the whole of Scotland, the UK and overseas.

The laboratory is a member of the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine, with laboratories also located in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. The Laboratory Services are funded by National Services Division of NHS Scotland (NSD) and are commissioned to work together to provide a comprehensive genetics service to the patients of Scotland.

The Laboratory Genetics department is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO 15189 standards. For more information see Accreditation and Quality Management section under Information for Service Users.

Our Services

The department offers Germline and Somatic testing, full details of which can be found under the Information for Service Users link.

Where to find us

Postal Address for correspondence and samples

West of Scotland Centre for Genomic Medicine

Laboratory Genetics

Level 2B Laboratory Medicine & FM Building

Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

Glasgow, G51 4TF

Contacting the Laboratory

For general enquiries please contact our Duty Scientist at Genetic.Laboratories@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

or telephone 0141 354 9300 (internal 59300)

For Clinical Genetics please call 0141 354 9200 (internal 59200)

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday, from 8.30am – 5.00pm

The laboratory does not offer an out of hours service but it may be possible to arrange the analysis of urgent samples out with these times, by prior arrangement. The department is closed during public holidays.

More Information

Information for Service Users

Additional Information for
Patients

Departmental
Contacts