Medical Microbiology

Medical Microbiology services at St George’s Hospital are now part of South West London Pathology which is a partnership set up by Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to provide a single, integrated pathology service across South West London and beyond.

For more information about South West London Pathology Microbiology visit the website

Medical Microbiology is the study of micro-organisms which cause disease and is concerned with their detection, identification and treatment thereby preventing the spread of infection. There are two main laboratories, Bacteriology and Virology, providing a 24-hour diagnostic and clinical service for all three hospitals (Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and local GPs, it also takes referrals from within the London region and south east England.The laboratories occupy modern, purpose-built accommodation and are fully equipped to perform a broad range of diagnostic procedures.

The Trust’s Infection Control Team of five nurses is part of the clinical service and is responsible for preventing the spread of infection within St George’s Hospital. This includes monitoring infections, dealing with incidents and outbreaks of infection, formulating hospital policy, encouraging awareness of infection control measures such as hand washing, auditing ward cleanliness and providing training for staff.

Medical Microbiology department clinical services include:

• Advice to medical staff on the tests available to detect infection and how to interpret results.
• Advice and guidance on treating and controlling infections.
• Regular ward rounds on intensive care units, paediatric units and cardiothoracic surgery unit.
• Bacteraemia service.
• Antimicrobial Stewardship rounds with the pharmacy team.
• Multidisciplinary team meetings with orthopaedic teams and diabetic foot teams.
• Bedside consultations.
• Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Service.

These clinical services have now merged with the Clinical Infection Unit to form the Infection Care Group.