Useful Information
General Information
We always aim is to offer commitment to our customers, strong working relationships and help & support for referring doctors and their practices.
For details about all our services, please contact the laboratory on 01707 707 560, or for more information visit www.mbhealthcare.co.uk.
Opening Hours and Services
Potters Bar Laboratory times
24 hours. A wide range of analytical services are available 24/7.
Harley Street Laboratory times
Mondays to Friday 08:00 to 18:00.
Samples can be dropped off at Harley Street Lab 24/7. The main lab should be informed by calling on 01707707560 when samples are being dropped outside opening hours.
Tests not processed at our laboratory in Harley Street will be referred to our Main laboratory straightaway for completion on the same day.
Test that are not performed in house will be referred to our partnered laboratories.
If you need information about turnaround times, please contact the laboratory.
Patient Reception times
Patient reception at:
MB CLINIC at 14 Station Close, Potters Bar, EN6 1TL
Monday to Saturday 07:00 to 19:00.
Sunday 08:00 to 14:00.
Direct line tel: 01707707560
Sample-taking is undertaken by qualified phlebotomy staff for which a standard sample-taking fee of
£40.00 is charged to patients. Doctors and clinics are charged £25.00 for each patient. Sample-taking
services for special test and Drugs of Abuse with Chain of Custody are routinely available.
Cervical cytology, HVS and cervical swabs are taken at our Potters Bar Clinic.
Specimen and Request Form Labelling
Please make sure all specimens and forms are labelled with given Forename, Surname, DOB, Date and Time of collection.
Semen Analysis
Semen samples need specialist handling within the laboratory. For this reason, all requests for Semen Analysis must be made by appointment. Practices or patients can make an online appointment at www.mbhealthcare.co.uk/appointments or call 01707707560 to make appointments and confirm instructions for sample collection. There is an attendance fee of £40.00.
Please follow the following instructions before semen analysis:
Patients must abstain from ejaculation for at least 2 days but not longer than 5 days before the test.
Ideally semen samples should be produced at MB Healthcare Services Ltd site, unless there are exceptional circumstances. In these exceptional circumstances please contact MB Healthcare Services on 01707 707 560 for special arrangements and instructions.
Patient Request Form
We comply with good clinical practice (GMP), and it is very important that all patients’ samples are accompanied by a properly labelled request form.
Both specimens and request forms should be correctly and fully labelled and should include three unique patient identifiers.
- First name, Surname, Date of birth, Hospital, Clinic number or Medical Record Number (MRN)
- Time and Date of collection of samples
- Type of sample and Anatomical site, where appropriate (e.g., swabs)
- Relevant clinical information
- Relevant details of medication
- High-Risk Samples should be clearly identified on the form and individually packed separately from other samples
- Hazard Group 4 pathogens (such as Ebola or Viral Haemorrhagic Fever) must not be sent to the laboratory – please contact the National Fever Service on 0844 778 8990 for advice before sending samples to the laboratory.
Additional Test
If additional tests are required for a sample already received, please contact the laboratory on 01707 707 560 with your request for specific further analysis. Samples are stored within timeframes according to their discipline. Laboratory staff will advise on the ability to undertake further testing from samples already received in the laboratory.
Samples Storage
The majority of samples received in the laboratory are kept for one week.
Home Visits or Corporate On-Site Services
This service is available for patients who has mobility issues or prefer samples to be taken at home or at locations other than our clinic. We also provide onsite services for corporate clients.
There is a visit fee from £80.00 to patients within the M25. Home visits outside the M25, for weekends, bank holidays and night, fees are by special arrangement. To arrange a Home Visit please telephone on 01707707560 or email .
Sample Packing
Samples need to be transported into appropriate sample containers provided by the laboratory in order to maintain integrity of the sample(s). Attention needs to be given to temperature, special transport containers and time limitations.
Pathology Consumables / Request Forms / Postal Testing Kits
MB Healthcare Services Ltd provides all appropriate sample collection consumables required for sample collection. Orders will be sent same or next day and can be made by calling on 01707516422 or email . All supplies and kits should be ordered using our supplies order form.
Reporting Options
Results will be sent out as agreed in the following ways :
- Encrypted Email
Results will be sent in encrypted format to any number of predetermined email addresses. Copy reports will be emailed automatically to email addresses on the system.
- Link to Practice Management System
Bidirectional requests and results can be delivered electronically to a number of integrated practice systems. Practice software that accepts data in an HL7 format can be linked to receive results from the laboratory.
All MB Healthcare systems are accredited to the latest International Standard for Information Security ISO/IEC 27001:2013.
- Printed Copy
Results are posted out on the day they are reported.
- MB Pathology Portal
Clinicians and Practices opting for our portal could the status of their request and results via our portal.
Fees For Pathology
Fees can be paid directly by patients or by the practice, clinic or requesting organisation.
A payment instruction clearly identifying to whom invoices need to be sent must be given with each patient’s request.
Patients are normally invoiced within 10 days to the address provided by the patient or practice.
Clinicians and Practices will be invoiced monthly.
In our clinic or home visit, all normal credit, debit or charge cards are accepted.
Protection of Personally Identifiable Information
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came in to force in May 2018 and has had a significant impact upon the way that personal data is managed; placing legal requirements upon data processors and controllers to manage that information securely, maintain records of the processing that is carried out, and report when breaches of the regulation do occur. This has impacted the way many businesses operate, and is not restricted to the healthcare sector.
The GDPR requirements have been implemented within the context of a mature ISO 27001 Information Security Management System – the globally accepted standard by which information is secured. We are also ICO registered.
In order to support our customers compliance with the regulation and as a part of a wider GDPR compliance project MB Healthcare Services Ltd has updated its standard terms and conditions to include revised data processing clauses, which are mandatory when providing personal data to another organisation.
