NHS HDL (2001)12

Health Department
Directorate of Planning and Performance Management

Dear Colleague

TRANSFER OF SCOTTISH NATIONAL NEONATAL SCREENING LABORATORY FROM STOBHILL HOSPITAL TO YORKHILL HOSPITAL, GLASGOW

1 . A specialist laboratory service for the detection of inborn errors of metabolism - phenylketonuria (PKU), galactosaemia and congenital hypothyroidism has been provided for the whole of Scotland by Stobhill Hospital since 1965. The laboratory is currently located in the Microbiology Building at Stobhill Hospital. The service is nationally funded through the National Services Division of the CSA.

2. On 19 February 2001 the laboratory will move within Glasgow to Yorkhill Hospital in order to achieve greater integration of the service with other related services.

3 . NHS Trusts which provide maternity, neonatal midwifery and community nursing services should ensure that from 19 February 2001 all Guthrie Cards (the cards used to forward blood spot samples from neonates to the specialist laboratory) are sent to Yorkhill rather than Stobhill Hospital. The new postal address for the laboratory from that date will be:

Scottish National Neonatal Screening Laboratory PO Box 25165
Institute of Medical Genetics
Yorkhill NHS Trust
GLASGOW G3 8SJ
(Telephone: 0141 201 0870   FAX 0141 201 0843)

4. A supply of envelopes for use in forwarding samples, together with further supplies as required, may be obtained from Yorkhill (tel 0141 201 0870).

5. May I take the opportunity to remind you that the objective of this service is to identify affected babies at the earliest opportunity so that they can be placed on corrective treatment. It is essential therefore that the specimens are dispatched to the testing laboratory with minimum delay by 1st class post.

Yours sincerely

GERRY MARR
Director of Planning and Performance Management

16th February 2001

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