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.

The Medical Microbiology and Virology Consultants are part of the Infection Care Group and work alongside their Consultant Infectious Diseases Colleagues

Clinical activities of the Consultant Medical Microbiologists include:

• Advice to hospital medical staff and GPs on the tests available to detect infection.
• Advice and guidance on treatment of infections
• Infection prevention and Control
• Regular ward rounds on intensive care units
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Multidisciplinary team meetings
• Bedside consultations for complex infections
• Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Service

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