About us

At our Pathology department, we carry out examinations on bodily tissues and fluids to determine the cause and nature of diseases.

Kingston Hospital is, along with St George’s Hospital and Croydon Hospitals, part of South West London Pathology.

If you require a blood test, this can be arranged at your GP practice or through outpatients when you visit the hospital. The results will be sent to your doctor or hospital consultant.

Cellular pathology

We examine cells, either from tissues or fluids, to determine whether or not a patient has a disease.

Our cellular pathology department combines both histopathology (study of cells within tissue) and diagnostic non-gynae cytopathology (study of cells within fluid). All case material is individually assessed to determine what basic investigations are required and whether further specialised investigations are needed to assist diagnosis.

We perform more than 80 types of test in-house, and have a network of external laboratories to which more specialised tests can be sent. In-house tests include immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and frozen sections. For diagnostic cytology, the department includes one-stop breast clinics and provides a rapid diagnosis for fine needle aspirate clinics.

Our team are actively involved in multi-disciplinary team meetings and are available to assist with the interpretation of results and the selection of appropriate tests.

We are committed to providing a service which is prompt, comprehensive, cost effective, high quality and responds to the needs of all service users.

If you have a query about Histology or Diagnostic Non-Gynae Cytopathology, then please contact cellular pathology on: 0208 8934 2239.

Clinical biochemistry and immunology

This area of pathology focuses on the analysis of bodily fluids, mostly serum or plasma. We carry out a wide variety of tests in the following categories:

  • General or routine chemistry: blood examinations such as liver and kidney function tests
  • Special chemistry: more specialised procedures such as electrophoresis and manual testing
  • Toxicology: the study of drugs and other chemicals
  • Therapeutic drug monitoring: measurements of medications in blood to ensure you get the right dosage
  • Urinalysis: testing urine for a wide range of diseases, as well as fluids such as CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and effusions
  • Fecal analysis: usually to detect gastrointestinal disorders

Our Immunology laboratory carries out tests to identify:

  • Allergy
  • Auto immunity
  • Immunodeficiency

Microbiology

Here we focus mainly on cultures to look for suspected pathogens such as viruses and parasites. There are four specialist areas we investigate:

  • Serology: Identifying viruses in samples of blood, urine and CSF
  • Parasitology: Identifying parasites, usually in faeces
  • Mycology: Looks for fungi that may cause disease
  • Infection Control: We look at factors relating to the spread of infections, especially within a health-care setting

Samples can be delivered directly to the Pathology Reception at Kingston Hospital or Queen Mary’s Hospital on Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm.

Contact us

Patient contact information: 020 8934 2052

For GP practices:

  • Histopathology: 020 8934 2239
  • Biochemistry and haematology: 020 8934 2052
  • Transfusion: 020 8934 2046
  • Immunology: 020 8725 0025
  • Microbiology: 020 8725 5693