This is the laboratory page of the Department of Immunology of North Bristol NHS Trust. If you want to access the clinical page, please visit Immunology and Allergy Centre. 

Test changes and accreditation

From Monday 9th September 2024 we are changing our test platforms for some of the assays in Immunology.

The following document is a letter we have sent out to users highlighting which tests and reference ranges are changing.

We will also be updating both our test information pages Test Information and the quality section Pathology Accreditation and Compliance Status.

All the affected tests, which were previously accredited by UKAS, will be undergoing an Extension to Scope process. However, please be assured that the quality of our services will remain the same.

General Information

The Department of Immunology and Immunogenetics provides a comprehensive clinical diagnostic service to the North Bristol NHS Trust and local community, and provides a referral service for laboratories throughout the South West. The laboratories are located in the Pathology Sciences building on the Southmead Hospital Bristol site.

Investigations are provided in HLA typing and renal crossmatching, allergy, autoimmunity, immunochemistry, immunodeficiency, and immunophenotyping. There are close links to the Southmead Renal Transplant Unit,  Paediatric Transplantation for the South West and Wales and UK Transplant with a 24 hour service for renal transplantation. Clinical advice and interpretation is available throughout.

The department is committed to providing a high quality service for all its users, participates in all appropriate External Quality Assurance Schemes, and is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No.8067. If it is necessary to refer work, where possible this will be to other CPA or UKAS accredited laboratories. Where this is not possible, laboratories are selected on National or International reputation in specialist assays.

The department is approved for Biomedical Scientist training by the Health Professions Council and accredited by the Royal College of Pathologists and Royal College of Physicians for Immunology Specialist Registrar Training.

Patients with suspected autoimmune disorders, allergy or immunodeficiency may be referred to clinic for investigation.

For Allergy and Immunology clinical advice, the clinicians and nursing team can be contacted:
1. via the secretaries on 0117 4143456, 9-5, no on-call service provided
2. via switchboard to our individual mobiles if clinician specific advice required, 9-5
3. via the immunology SpR bleep 9287, 9-5, no on-call service provided
4. via email immunologyandallergy@nbt.nhs.uk inbox monitored daily

Donating artwork

Exhibiting artwork

Performing in our hospitals

Become a Volunteer Musician

Volunteer knitters, crocheters and stitchers

Donating to Southmead Hospital Charity to support Fresh Arts

Fresh Arts Student Placements & Work Experience

Upcoming piano performances

Details of upcoming performances can be found in our Online Piano Diary  teamup.com/ksbbce0d9b777a2b21 

At the start of each session, please allow a few minutes for volunteer musicians to arrive and set up.

Contact us at fresh.arts@nbt.nhs.uk to share your feedback.

How to arrange piano access for inpatients currently in our care at Southmead Hospital

Providing there is no infection control restriction, Fresh Arts can provide Piano access to patients.

This is granted on the condition that they are accompanied by a member of their care team at all times when performing. 

Contact fresh.arts@nbt.nhs.uk to request access. We are available to respond to enquiries Monday to Thursday 9am - 5pm, but bookings are possible 24/7 once appropriate support has been put in place.

Arts on Referral

Dance for Parkinson's

Online resources

Dance for Dementia

Resources for patients

Live music

Online resources

Southmead Hospital

Brunel building, Southmead Hospital

Women and Children's Percy Phillips Family Room, Southmead Hospital

Cossham Hospital, Kingswood

Permanent Collection

Fresh Arts is the arts programme managed by North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT).  It was established in 2007. The name ‘Fresh Arts’ represents the coming together of Frenchay and Southmead Hospitals upon the opening of the Brunel building on our Southmead site in 2014. Fresh Arts exists to enhance patient, visitor and staff experience of our hospitals and services, create distraction, provoke thought and improve health and wellbeing. 

We believe that experiencing and engaging in the arts can improve the quality of life and enhance the wellbeing of patients, visitors and staff. It can provide distraction from boredom and pain, increase confidence and self-esteem, enable a greater sense of agency, and provide increased opportunities for social interaction and connection with staff, visitors and other patients as well as with oneself.  

Engaging professional artists and musicians across our programme, and supporting a large team of volunteer musicians, we deliver a programme of arts activity which offers opportunities to enjoy performances and productions by local, national and regional artists as well as providing the benefits of engaging with music, dance, creative writing, visual arts and crafts.   

Fresh Arts activity is made possible by the generous support of donors to Southmead Hospital Charity. 

If you would like to listen to the information this page please use the tracks below each heading. 

‘Home is Best’

Going to the place you call home helps you get better faster.

At home, you can move around more, build your strength, and feel happier. Being at home also reduces the risk of problems like pressure sores and infections. You'll sleep better too.

Going home frees up hospital beds sooner for others who need them. This benefits both you and people waiting to get care.

Planning your discharge

We want to help you recover and leave the hospital as soon as you are ready. You will go home when you don’t need hospital care anymore.

As soon as you come into hospital we will give an expected date of discharge. You may also move wards or buildings while you are in hospital, we will keep you informed of any changes.

We will talk to you early in your stay to make a plan for when you leave.

We will work together with you and your family/friends/carers to decide what happens next. Please ask friends/family to help get your home ready, for example food shopping. If this isn’t possible Voluntary Services can help.

If you live outside Bristol, North Somerset, or South Gloucestershire, you may go to your local hospital to continue your recovery before going home.

If you need help from community services we will arrange this before you are discharged.

If you need follow-up appointments or tests we will arrange this and send you a letter with the details.

Keeping active

Staying active in hospital can help you return home more quickly and help prevent loss of strength and independence (this is known as deconditioning).

How you can help yourself: 

• Talk to ward staff: tell them what you usually do and how they can help you.
• Move around: walk to the bathroom and around your room. Do this alone or with help if needed. Ask family or friends to bring your toiletries.
• Sit up: sit in a chair or on the edge of the bed when eating or seeing visitors.
• Exercise gently: do gentle exercises throughout the day.
• Do small amounts and often: to avoid you getting tired.
• Wear your clothes: if you can, wear your normal clothes and shoes in the day. Ask family or friends to bring them in.
• Help plan your discharge: be involved in planning for when you leave the hospital and share your thoughts.

On the day you leave hospital

We will let you know as soon as we can when you are going home. When you are close to discharge we will support you to get ready.

On the day you leave the hospital, you will get a discharge summary. This will also be sent to your GP. You will be given any medicines you need, and the staff will explain how to take them. Make sure to read the instructions on the packaging about how often and when to take them. If you need more medicine later, your GP can give you a prescription.

Discharge Lounge

You may go to the Discharge Lounge as early as 07:00 on your discharge day. Staff will communicate with you and the person collecting you to make sure you are ready to leave.

In the Discharge Lounge, nurses will finish your hospital care. They will give you any medicine you need and offer snacks and drinks. You can use the TV, radio, and garden area while you wait.

Some people may leave directly from the ward, especially if you are discharged later in the evening.

Transferring to a community bed

If you are being transferred to a community bed, the process is the same as returning home, except hospital transport will be arranged for you.

Where you are going will be shared with you as soon as possible.

Questions and queries

You may feel worried about returning home or being transferred to another location. Please speak with your ward team if you have any concerns. They can put you in contact with our Transfer of Care Hub partners, who can speak with you to provide support and reassurance.

These organisations can also support you once you are discharged

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published April 2025. Review due April 2028. NBT003451.

The department provides First Trimester Combined Screening for Down’s (trisomy 21), Edwards' (trisomy 18) and Patau's (trisomy 13) syndromes for Southmead, St Michael’s and Weston General Hospitals and for the Bath area. 

First Trimester Combined Screening involves ultrasound measurement of nuchal translucency (NT) and laboratory measurement of maternal serum PAPP-A and free beta-HCG.  A statistical risk calculation is performed to estimate the chance of Down’s syndrome and a combined chance of Edward's and Patau's syndromes.

First Trimester Combined Screening is the test recommended by the UK National Screening Committee and may be performed within the gestational age range of 11 weeks + 2 days to 14 weeks + 1 day.

Second trimester Down’s syndrome screening, based on the quadruple test, is also available for women booking too late for first trimester screening.  The quadruple test may be performed within the gestational age range of 14 weeks + 2 days to 20 weeks + 0 days (ideally at 15 to 16 weeks gestation). Samples are referred to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Newcastle.

A 20 week anomaly scan is used to screen for Edwards' and Patau's syndromes in the second trimester.

The First Trimester Combined Screening service has been developed by close collaborative working with maternity services of three Trusts and conforms to the standards and recommendations set by the National Screening Committee.

For more information see www.gov.uk/topic/population-screening-programmes/fetal-anomaly

Please see below for our latest user survey report:

The department provides specialist analysis of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase, BChE (also referred to as serum cholinesterase), with enzyme activity, biochemical phenotyping and genotyping investigations available.

BChE is an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of the muscle relaxants suxamethonium (scoline) and mivacurium that shows a great deal of genetic variation. Some variants lead to an effective enzyme deficiency which impairs an individual’s ability to metabolise the drugs and leads to prolonged paralysis and apnoea.

Biochemical phenotypes of BChE are identified by inhibitor studies with agents such as dibucaine and fluoride. All reports are issued with interpretative comments and an assessment of risk (of suxamethonium sensitivity) based on the phenotype and enzyme activity. Warning cards are issued for patients likely to be sensitive to suxamethonium and recommendations given with the report on the need for family studies.

Where more detailed information is required DNA studies are often of value and can, on request, be carried out on the same sample (EDTA whole blood).  Analysis is now performed by Bristol Genetics Laboratory using DNA sequencing, covering the full coding region of the BCHE gene. Results are reported alongside the biochemistry results with a full interpretation.

Serum cholinesterase activity can also be performed for occupational monitoring in workers handling organophosphate pesticides.  An initial baseline sample should be taken prior to any exposure to determine the individual’s baseline activity. https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/severn-pathology/requesting/test-information/cholinesterase-studies

Please see below for responses to our most recent user survey