Pathology

Pathology is the study of disease, its causes and progression. More than 70% of diagnoses in the NHS involve pathology, making it a really important part of your care.

Our team helps nearly every patient who uses our services at some point. Every time you give a blood, urine or a tissue sample it is analysed by the pathology department.

The department is divided into different specialist areas:

biochemistry – the study of chemicals and hormones in the blood and other fluids
cellular pathology – the study of disease in human cells and tissue
haematology and blood transfusion– the study of disorders of the blood
immunology – the study of the body’s immune system
microbiology – the study of infection
phlebotomy – people trained in taking blood
point of care testing (POCT) – samples analysed at the bedside or in a clinic