About pathology

The pathology service has laboratories across the Tees Valley, located at University Hospital of North Tees, The James Cook University Hospital and the Friarage Hospital.

Diagnostic testing is an integral part of the healthcare equation.

Almost nothing happens, whether diagnosing a disease or monitoring a therapy, without a laboratory test.

We provide a high quality diagnostic and consultative service to clinical users of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (as part of the University Hospitals Tees group) as well as to primary and secondary care providers in the locality.

Service user feedback

We are continually trying to improve the services we provide. Please let us know about things we are doing well, or if you have any suggestions about how services can be improved.

Suggestions or complaints can be made to individual departments within Pathology by contacting the Pathology Quality Manager or via the Patient Experience Team. You can also complete our short survey to provide us with feedback on our service

Patient information

Patient information is available at Lab Tests Online or on the patient information leaflets page on the NHS Blood and Transplant website.

Patient consent

For most routine laboratory procedures, consent can be presumed when a patient presents themselves at a laboratory with a request form, and willingly submits to the usual collection procedure e.g., venepuncture.

Patients who attend a phlebotomy clinic and who are unable to communicate in English must show the phlebotomist their ARC identification badge.

Special procedures, including more invasive procedures, or procedures with an increased risk of complications, may need a more detailed explanation and, in some cases, recorded consent in accordance with our C25 Consent to Examination or Treatment Policy.

Patients in a hospital bed should normally be given the opportunity to refuse, except in emergency situations where consent may not be possible and the laboratory may carry out necessary procedures, provided they are in the patient’s best interest.