Laboratory Genetics

The Laboratory Genetics department (formally the Molecular Diagnostics and Cytogenetics Laboratories), forms part of the West of Scotland Genetic Services and provides a comprehensive diagnostic genetic service for the patients of the West of Scotland (population >2.7 million) and specialised testing for particular disorders to the whole of Scotland, the UK and overseas. The West of Scotland Genetic Service also includes the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory and the Clinical Genetics Service, which are co-located.

The laboratory is situated on Level 2 of the Laboratory Medicine Building at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow and encompasses cytogenetics and molecular diagnostic testing for the specialist diagnosis and/ or monitoring of patients with constitutional (prenatal and postnatal) and acquired (malignancy) genetic abnormalities in hereditary genetic disease, solid tumours as well as adult and childhood leukaemia.

The laboratory is a member of the Scottish Genetics Laboratories Consortium and the Scottish Molecular Pathology Consortium, with laboratories also located in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. The laboratories in each of these four centres are funded by National Services Division of NHS Scotland and are commissioned to work together to provide a comprehensive genetics service to the patients of Scotland. In addition, the laboratory is a member of the UK Genetic Testing Network (UKGTN) ensuring our patients have access to specialist genetic tests from other UK accredited laboratories, when appropriate.

The Laboratory Genetics department is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO 15189:2012 standards. The scope of services included in this accreditation can be viewed here.

Important information for users March 2020

Laboratory Genetics Service and COVID-19 outbreak

Germline testing services for inherited disorders

As of Friday 20^th March,  and for the foreseeable future, Laboratory Genetics will no longer have the capacity to carry out testing for routine germline referrals (to include diagnostic samples and familial testing of known genetic abnormalities).  Send away of non-urgent tests to referral labs will also be suspended. 

Germline referrals for the following analyses are deemed as priority analyses and we will endeavour to process and test, however there may be some impact on reporting turnaround times: 

• Prenatal diagnosis (rapid testing by QF-PCR followed by karyotype or microarray as appropriate) and follow up parental testing if indicated.
• Prenatal testing for known familial genetic abnormalities. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THESE ARE DISCUSSED WITH THE LABORATORY BEFOREHAND SINCE WE MAY NEED TO ARRANGE TRANSPORT TO ANOTHER LABORATORY WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TESTING CAPACITY.
• Neonatal samples from which the patient is suspected to have a genetic condition after birth (including new born screening for cystic fibrosis and Sickle cell disease)

If there are patients that you consider may need urgent genetic testing please call 0141 354 9284 (cytogenetics) or 0141 354 9310 (molecular) or email [email protected] and we will consider your request.

For further  information on Germline services please click here.

 

Somatic testing services for acquired disorders (haemato-oncology and FFPE referrals)

Somatic referrals in relation to testing tumour or blood/bone marrow samples from patients with cancer are considered priority analyses and we will endeavour to continue to provide our full repertoire of testing for these, however there may be some impact on reporting turnaround times. 

For further information on Somatic services, please click here. 

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Contacting the Laboratory

For general enquiries please contact Duty Scientist at :- [email protected]

or telephone 0141 354 9300 (internal 59300)

Members of the senior management team can be contacted here

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Postal address for correspondence and samples

West of Scotland Genetic Services (Laboratories)
Laboratory Genetics
Level 2B Laboratory Medicine & FM Building
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
Glasgow, G51 4TF

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Information

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

Full schedule of accredited tests can be found on the UKAS search of accredited organisations

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Privacy notice

In Laboratory Genetics, we use secure cloud-based analysis tools to help us analyse and interpret DNA sequencing results. Please click here for our Privacy Notice regarding this.

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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

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 9330 or downloaded 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.

Please note that high value referrals (>£1000) which are referred on to non Scottish Genetics Laboratories are subject to an external approval process through the Scottish Genetics Laboratory Consortium.  External users requesting such tests are required to provide additional information by completing the SGLC Test Request form (please see below).

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR USERS

The Laboratory Genetics department is currently experiencing pressures in terms of reporting times for some of its service. We continue to work closely with all users to prioritise urgent referrals where appropriate.  If users of the service have any concerns regarding reporting times for patients referred to the laboratory for testing, please contact Nicola Williams, Head of Service, to discuss further ([email protected]).

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Links to Forms

Genetic Testing Request Form

Clinical Exome Testing Request Form

Clinical Exome gene panels list v1 (Glasgow)

Molecular Haematology-oncology testing  

Solid Tumour Request Form

Paediatric ALL MRD Test Request Form

Glasgow Epilepsy Service Proforma (instructions for configuring NHS_net)

Genetic Epilepsy NGS panel v1

Disorders of Sexual Development Proforma

Disorders of Sexual Development NGS gene panel list v1

Hereditary Cancer Panel Testing Proforma

SGLC Test Request Form

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

Chromosome Breakage Syndromes (Guys)

DKC testing (Barts)

FIP1L1-PDGFRA (Salisbury)

BCR-ABL trial only (Hammersmith)

PML-RARA trial only (Guys)

Forms can also be requested by contacting the laboratory.

Either a completed request form or a detailed letter must be sent with each patient sample, and each sample must be clearly labelled with at least 2 patient identifiers

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